Mobile Suit Gundam:Vanguard Blitz
by ChoasKnight
Summary: In the deepest reaches of space, hundreds of years after the One Year War, man exist only in the deepest reaches of space.In a distant star system, a war has began on the second planet from the sun, the planet call Genesis
1. Summary

This material and all characters mention within this fanfiction are my and my property alone, with the exception of any materials, characters or references that is owned by Sotsu Agency/Sunrise and Bandai Entertainment in reference to Mobile Suit Gundam.

Current story is a rewritten alteration to the former Mobile Suit Gundam: Vanguard Conspiracy, and is merely a more edited, indebt and detail work, and is not to be considered a future representation of the Mobile Suit Gundam universe.This alteration is the work of ChoasKnight.

_Summary_

**Mobile Suit Gundam: Vanguard Blitz**

Centuries after the One Year War has long been forgotten, the Delaz's fleet operation Stardust a long lost record and the Zanscare Empire's invasion of earth became a fable tale, told to young children as bedtime stories, humankind has abandoned its birthplace and exist in the deepest reaches of space.Having used their advanced technology to unlock the secrets of faster than light travel, humanity began spreading through the galaxy like an uncurable disease.

As the Terran race migrated to new worlds, rich with untouch resources, new regimes and government were formed.As was human nature, greed and the thirst for power overwhelm even the most peaceful of worlds, and war followed directly behind.

The year is 0493 of the Universal Century, on the planet E2-31A2, known as planet **_Genisis_**, war has erupted on the continent of _Nirvano_; launching an all out war of aggression, the _Guild Socialist_ _Ministry_ unleashed their assault against the_ Republic of Lucan_, utilizing the most destructive war machines ever built by humans, the mobile suit.

Within five weeks of the initial engagements, the leaders of the _Republic of Lucan_ surrendered unconditionally, against the wishes of its population and the few surviving military commanders, effectively giving the GSM control of two/thirds of the Nirvano continent.Unbeknowst at the time, also securiung its northwestern flanks.

Six years after the invasion of Lucan, tensions between the GSM and the eastern country of _Deikumia Foundation,_ that had become strenuous over the years, slowly develope into a full-fledge armed conflict.

Few doubt the the numerically superior Guild Army would be victories.However, the Foundation retaliated against the Guild's first echelon of the army deployed to attack Deikumia by flooding the atmosphere with high concentrations of minovsky particles via multiple generators, thus effectively neutralizing radar, communications and rendering nearly all long range guided weapons ineffective.

As a secondary counter-offensive the Foundation targeted forty-three major bridge-heads that span across the _Igris River_, that seperated the two great nations: thirty-one were destroyed and all the others were damage to some extent.And thus the initial Guild ground attack was not supported by the second echelon: the muched feared Guild ground superiority was decisively reduced.The land battle in eastern Deikumia could now be fought on nearly equal terms.

The Guild leaders prediction of a quick victory have now proven false, as nine months have pass since the war began, with no end to the ever escalating hostilities in sight.

As the war drag on, several new factions began to emerge.


	2. Chapter 1

**Mobile Suit Gundam: Vanguard Blitz**

**Chapter 1**

In the town of _Versa_, on the outskirts of _Deikumia Foundation_ territory, six kilometers southwest of the _Guild Socialist Ministry's_ border.They moved swiftly, silently with a purpose, under the crystalline star-filled night east of the town of Versa.They were young men, though one could scarcely have known from their speech, which was english, though infected with a profanity that would have struck the senior citizens of the town with disgust.The two young men had spent the better part of an hour, packing equipment they would need before the sun was up.Oban Elezan was the only one carrying an oversized backpack on his back, with a second one clenched in his right hand, which left him stumbling in the back. Rouk Narden was in front, not because he held the only flashlight they had that flashed to and fro constantly, but mostly because he knew the path in the darkness.No one had heard or seen them leave, so much the better.A small town was normally a quiet place in the early dawn of the morning, but news travel very fast, and neither young men wanted anyone to know where they were going, at least not yet. The pair of bodies almost made a shadow in the dark background, cursing softly as they trek on an uphill path through two kilometers of rough grass.

The house was three kilometers southeast of Versa town.On sighting it, the pair quicken their pace.A typical two level house found in the rural outskirts of Deikumia territory, it had blue and white brick walls, a porch supported by two wooden beams, a steeply pitched roof taller than most.The outlying barn was large, but low-slung with a metal covered roof.The two shadows stopped several feet below the second floor window of the main house, to began the next part of their task.

Bending forward, Rouk scooped a handful of loose pebbles, and after glancing around once, he threw one as close to the window as he can.

Kailyn Starken was sitting up before he knew why.His amber eyes scanned the unlit, empty room as another loud tap sound was heard to his left. Half asleep and half muttering to himself, he left the warmth of the blanket, shivering momentarily as his bare feet touched the cold ceramic tile floor, yawning uncontrollably as he stretched his tense muscles into relaxation, nearly touching the eight foot ceiling with his fingertips as he reached upward.

Kailyn eyes were slowly becoming accustomed to the darkness.He could make out the shape of the window, curiously he tip-toed his 6'1" athletic frame across the room towards the window in two easy strides, and popped the lower half of the frame upwards until he heard it click, before sticking his head out.It was blacker than mid-night without moon or stars outside; although both were clearly present; and colder than the dinner he'd eaten a few hours earlier.A chilly breeze brush against his exposed chin and pass his hair, sending a sudden shiver down his spined.

" What in the world..." he muttered rubbing his eyes, wide awake now.

" Psst, Kailyn you up yet?"

Kailyn pause for a moment, his head leaned half-way out the window, not knowing if he should answer or not.Fortunately he recognized the voice instantly, and his eyes, well adjusted to the dark, spotted a tall figure directly below, gazing up at him." Krill Rouk, are you out of your damn mind, its in the middle of the frigging night."

" I know that, you think I want to be out here this early, beside its nearly two hours until sun rise...

" Two hours before...krill, give me a second."

Without waiting for a response, Kailyn slidded his head back into the room, before pulling the window slowly and noiselessly down until he heard the distinctive click of the locking mechanism.He turned towards the door of his room and walked quickly out; keeping the noise to its barest minimum that would have left a mice jaw open in shocked, he moved towards the stairs.

Stopping at the foot of the first step, he glanced at the door across from his own, his uncle would no doubt be in a heavy sleep.But Kailyn wasn't about to take any chances, he descend each step one at a time and at his leisure.As with all things, the last wooden step creaked louder than any of the others and he hesitated one step short of touching the floor, ears alerted for the faintest sound coming from above.There was none.In ten seconds he was out the front door and no less than ten meters from the front door.

He'd barely stepped out a full minute, when Oban's low firmed voice startled him." You think your the only one he's waken up this early?"

Turning towards Oban's hunch back figured, Kailyn leaned forward without moving a step, curiousity now gnawing at his mind.He still hadn't figure out why Rouk was out here in the dead of night and Oban's sudden appearance had scared the hell out of him.As he collected his wits, he thought to himself.' _The sun isn't even up yet and its already starting to be a real frustrating day_.' Looking at the dark figured approaching him, he asked." So what's it this time, and it better be good."

Faltering, Oban replied." What you think, Rouk here went and inform Miss Anniston that the three of us, would be glad to get her some fresh iceberries for the festivities tonight."

Kailyn blinked in surprised." We...!" He turned to Rouk who suddenly stopped approaching a meter away." Are you crazy or what, you want to go across the border of those trigger happy Guild for some fruits."

As he anticipated, Rouk ignored the implication all together." So you coming, we'll get some fishing done and be back home before noon."

' _If we don't get arrested or kill by those Border Patrol Guards first_.' Kailyn suddenly shivered, not from the chilly air, but in realizing short of knocking sense into Rouk's thick skull there was no way around this task.He had no desire to leave the warmth comfort of his bed, to trek seven plus kilometers, into the largest forest on the continent; the Orka forest, an additional four kilometers across the GSM border, in complete darkness, because of a promise made without him having a say in it.For a brief , he wanted to flee back under the covers of his blanket and remain there for another couple of hours, but instead he remain steadfast.His mother had always warned him against doing any good deeds; of course she had also ruin his childhood, so he took anything and everything she said with a grain of salt.

Kailyn gived the house a brief glance, but shook the thought lingering at the back of his skull." Krill, give me about fifteen minutes."

At last he sigh and turned back towards the house, moving slowly as not to slip on the loose pebbles that littered the front yard, eyes locked on a star billions of miles away, until he arrived at the door.Hesistating for a moment, he slipped inside and close it quietly behind him.

_Should have stayed on Kalaro Isles, it was rough but atleast it was less stressful. Krill, this is going to be one long day. _

l

_Three days, eight different positions and yet the same old shit_

His name was Lieutenant Athan Corhoris, an officer in the _Lucan Freedom Alliance_ military, and he, like the rest of the members of 4th Squad, Beta Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Erin Sol Brigade were frustrated and getting bored, a dangerous combination considering their current location.Kneeling on its left knee at the edge of the tree line of the Orka forest, within the northwestern Latana plains, his desert yellow and green colored ERS-06B _Grave _mobile suit appeared as bored as he was.

He was still unsure how the LFA had procured the Graves, although he had yet to baptized his new suit in real combat, the technicians and the ninety hours of simulated tests indicated a performance that was in par or surpass that of the Guild's vaunted TMS-17J Lupus S types.Nevertheless, he could feel the new machine radiating an anxiety to prove itself in combat, not the boring simulated training that it had been subjected to.As it was the ZT-MG/35F 100mm machinegun it had been grasping upright for nearly a week in its right manipulator hand, was now dropped to its side, the smooth bore barrel barely a feet away from touching the ground, although the suit carried two backup 32 round banana shape clips on slots on its right side waist armor, the 100mm machinegun currently equiped the optional 64 round clip that extended below the gun,over the left shoulder armor, mounted an optional ZT-G/38A ' Replica', a 40mm five barrel gatling type rotary cannon that fires 3600 rounds per minute (RPM), that also remained unused.The right and left leg below the knee joint, mounted the optional ZT-M/36B, a 3-tube short range multi-purpose launcher that carried three infra-red homing missiles, whilst its left side waist armor rack held a ZT-HS/34A ' Heat Rapier', its built in battery had long since been fully charge, instead the two sided heat sword remain on its left hip rack, awaiting the day it would curve its enemies to pieces, which Athan grimly judge could be a long time away.

While every squad of the LFA came with three mobile suits and an ammo support vechicle, the nature of this mission demanded a highly mobile unit, which meant leaving their support vechicle back in Lucan and changing it for a fourth MS.

The four mobile suits, like there pilots had been stationary for what seemed like a long time now, considering they were in enemy country, and Athan had no qualms about what would happen if a _Guild Forward Border Patrol Guard_ unit stumble across there positions, and leaving this country now seemed to be the highest priority on Athan's list of things to do.Only the thought of completing his assigned orders, handed down to him by none other than General Malik T. Velaz, founder and commanding officer of the LFA, and the only Lucanite General to remain free, seven years after the _Guild Invasion Campaigned_ prevented Athan from packing up his team and leaving.

_' This is crazy_.' All the preplanning done on this recon mission had warned him to expect a patrol rich environment, so far he was rich only in frustration.

In the three days since setting foot into Guild country, he had personally marked no more than five seperate border patrol teams of three mobile suits, and three times as many helio patrol, none of which had pass within a thousand meters of their position. The only conclusion he had drawn in being out here, was the _Guild Forward Border Patrols_ in the South had far less resources and outposts compare to those in the North, in fact the one's in the south appeared far more relaxed than there counterparts, who spent days and night patrolling the Guild's northern border for any LFA activity which was constant, or they were so full of themslves they couldn't conceived of the fact of someone penetrating there border so far south, and that infuriated him, because of course they were right, no LFA pilot in there right mind would venture out here, where there was no hope for support or retrieval.But this side of the border was...hell with three squads of mobile suit, they could smack the Guild around here, hard and fast, and be long gone while the Guild try to figure out what exactly had happen.Of course that was just him.

His tired brown eyes slipped behind a high-powered field binoculars, scanning the clear blue morning sky for any Airborne Early Warning(AEW) surface surveillance aircrafts for what seem lke an endless cycle.This lasted fifteen minutes, before he shifted his binoculars to the left of his mobile suit, fixing itself on a familiar sight, a pair of Graves in fixed firing positions about a hundred meters away, litterly melting into the forest background.The binoculars swivel around to his back right, fifteen meters away, the tip of a ZT-C/37B 125mm cannon mounted on this Grave's right hip was barely visible from behind a row of shrubs, the Grave equiped with it equally well hidden.Athan looked in front, far across the Latana plains to the treeline three thousand meters ahead and sighed out loud.

Stifling an urge to spit off the end of his Grave's armored hatched, where he sat, his legs dangling freely.Athan roused and slumped back into his seat, but kept his eyes trained outward."Hope those sailors aren't as bored as I am. Maybe its time to find out."

Leaning forward a notch, he clicked the radio ON with his left hand, while slipping on his headset with the right.His orders was to make contact with Seabase once every twelve hours, or unless he had an emergency or something urgent to report, both of which he had neither of.He slumped into a more comfortable position in his seat and took a deep breathe, while his right hand changed radio frequency from the 4th Squad net, to _Seabase_'s current radio net's setting.Glancing once at the list of communication codes to assure he was on the right net.

" Okay, here goes nothing," Athan toggled the Transmit switch." Bravo Lead to MetalShell, over." Nothing happen, Athan checked his instruments to assure minovsky particles were not hampering his transmission, and rebroadcast the same messages two more times.

" This is MetalShell to Alpha One, your early, what's your report," the voice sounded sleepy.Athan stared the blank communication screen for several seconds.

" Nothing to report, I say again, nothing to report, unless you want to know about the weather.Over."

He heard the distinctive click as the tranmission was suddenly cut off, but not before hearing a loud curse over the net." Ahh screw you to."

Without changing the grin that now encompass his face or moving any part of his body except his right hand, which was closer to the frequency button, Athan switched back to the 4th Squad's net, and waited a couple of seconds.The built in cooling fan in the radio system whined to life.When the fan had reached a steady speed, he began to talk, still staring through the open hatch.

" Delta Three, this is Alpha One. About to check up on our rookies, be back in thirty. Stay off the air.Out." Releasing the Transmit switch, Athan allowed his hand to fall to his lap.

Digging through the pile of junk inside the cockpit, Athan pulled out his combat knife with its serrated edge, an M90 7.62mm machinegun and a lighter M28 9mm handgun.All the hand weapon an LFA soldier were issued, were definetly not designed to take on an armored opponent.Athan reminded himself of this as he exited the mobile suit through the hatch in the torso.

It felt good to Athan to be able to stand upright and stretched his legs.The chill and dissipating morning mist were a refreshing change after being in the mobile suit for hours.

Athan walked the hundred meters distance over to the Grave in front to make sure the pilot was awake and alert, not being a member 4th Squad, he had his doubts about this pilot from the 2nd Squad.He stumble over roots and branches that reached up and grabbed his ankles while low branches swatted him in the face.He stopped for a moment, push the offending branches out of the way and began to go forward again, remembering this time to pick up his feet to clear the stumps and using his arm to clear the branches.As he proceeded, Athan decided that rather than fight the underbrush and roots on his way over to the Grave, he would skirt the tree line.This was not a good idea, his black t-shirt stood out among the green and yellow leaves, but he decided to do it anyway.

When he approached the mobile suit, the luminescent glow from its blood red mono-eye slowly moved to the right side of its turret, indicating that the pilot was awake and alert. Knowing that the pilot would have the cockpit hatch lock, sealed and the mobile suit at its lowest power setting, Athan took out his combat knife and rapped on the knelt left leg five times.As he waited for a response, Athan stared beyond this Grave.He could barely make out the shape of the other suit in the tree line, more importantly he could make out the profile of a massive muzzle, no doubt from that shoulder mounted 310mm bazooka.

The Grave's hatch above him opened, and Athan was greeted by a dark figure leaning half way out the hatch and a slurred." Yea, what ya want."

" Its Lieutenant Corhoris.Anything going on across the plain."

Straightening up slightly, the mobile suit pilot realized whom he was talking to." Oh, sorry, sir.No, haven't seen a thing all morning except a FBP team and a pair of Covera Ars that pass here an hour ago.We moving to our next assign sector, sir."

" No, not for another hour.You run your system checks yet."

" Yes, sir.About an hour ago, did a full external and internal systems checks, everything's in the green."

" Ok.Keep awake and alert.Let me know the moment something comes along." After a perfunctory " Yes, sir." the pilot closed the hatch as Athan turned around the left leg and walked out towards the second mobile suit.It bothered him that beside's this pilots name, he didnt know much about him.He could only hope that the pilot trusted his ability to command in battle with the same blind faith that he trusted this pilot's ability to kill Guild mobile suits with that Grave.

As he trudge over to the second Grave, he reviewed the Team's deposition and mission in his mind.The team had gone over it often enough using thirty year old maps during meal time.But Athan was still not satisfied that they were in the best possible positions to get a good idea how the Guild southern border patrol unit operated.

As Athan approached the second mobile suit, he heard a light rustling followed by a mumble.He had reached the second suit." Stop, who goes there?" came the challenge in a femine voice that was loud and sounded surprised.Athan had no doubt caught the pilot distracted and had startle her.The voice that issued the challenge belonged to Private First Class Elywarm, the pilot of the second Grave.The PFC repeated the challenge." Who goes there."

" Lieutenant Corhoris."

" Approached and be recognized?"

Athan continued forward and moved slowly to the front of the kneeling Grave, now able to make out the figured moving out from behind the mobile suit's right leg with an outstretched right arm holding the 9mm handgun.

PFC Vicati 'Bazooka Maiden' Elywarm looked ahead as her CO approached, satisfied, she lowered the gun's barrel, but did not put it away.

The early morning chills were causing Vicati's nipples to press inside of her tee shirt.Athan catch himself staring." Vicati, what do you think your doing outside your suit."

" I got a red light on my left leg missile launcher during my routine systems check, one of the missiles control cable had gotten loose, sir."

" I take it you were able to solve the problem."

" Yes, sir.Just about to do a full system check."

Athan was about to agree, while wondering what would cause a 19 year old girl to risk life and limp to pilot a mobile suit, when the earsplitting screech of two fast moving jets flying at treetop level cut off his train of thought.The two mobile suit pilots turned in the direction of the noise just in time to see two more jets come screaming on the right of 4th Squads positions.Athan didn't recognized aircraft type, fighter aircrafts recognition wasn't one of his strong points.But it wasn't necessary to identify the exact type.A glimpse of a blue sphere on the fuselage told him everything he needed to know about the two jets.

" What now...?Athan turned around just time to see Vicati vanish into her mobile suit, the hatch closing behind her.Taking that to heart, he broke out into a slow run,weapons bouncing against his body as he trotted through the trees to his own Grave.

As he neared his mobile suit, Athan could see Sergeant Cumman standing at the edge of his own Grave's cockpit hatch staring at something out of Athan's sight.

" Airplanes," hooted Varl Cumman without glancing in Athan's direction, as Athan made his way up his Grave's leg and into the torso." Lots of them."

Athan launched forward into his seat, nearly banging his head in the rush, field glasses snapped forward.They were just dots, but they grew rapidly into shapes." I count nine big one's, look's like CT-31s.Plus fighter escorts."

Athan waited a full ten minutes as the airplanes pass within three kilometers of there position and were long gone, before going for his radio.His prediction of Home Base wanting to be apprise of the situation was right.This did get their attention."" We have a Guild airlift in progress.I've counted nine-Guild transport aircrafts Charlie-Tango-Three-One type and a large number of fighter escort, type unknown.Appeared to be coming out of Suave military base, heading for Deikumia Foundation territory."

" Alpha One, are you sure, repeat are you sure about the count?."

" That's a yes, MetalShell.There flight path has them passing pretty close to our position, and I've got a finger count.We also saw fighter escort.I couldn't make out the kind or type, but as sure as I'm talking to you, looks like fighters.You copy that MetalShell."

" I copy nine transports, with unknown number of fighter escort.Okay, Alpha One, we got to get this information upstairs fast.Sit tight and we'll get back to you ASAP. Is your position safe."

' _Now that's a dumb question_, Athan thought." I hear you MetalShell.We're not going anywhere.Out." He kept the headset on and dial to the 4th Squad freguency." Okay people, sit tight and maintain a low power setting.Last thing we need is for the Guild to pick us up on their sensors."

He flipped off the unit switch and dial a private net." What do you think Varl."

" Nine CT-31s, that's enough ammunition to keep a battalion going for a couple of days during wartime.Believe me, sir, that's alot of ammo.Must be a major operation in progress and we're right smack in the middle of there flight route."

" I hear you, we have to be a good eighty kilometers from Suave, but just to be sure, we'll wait a few minutes and find a position thats directly in there path. You think we'll be any safer out here now."

" Sure, if you call being in the hungry wolf's den safe."

For the first time since being force to awaken, a little to early in his books, Kailyn Starken was satisfied.For all his boosting with a fishing rod, which he did on a day to day basis, Rouk had walked away with nothing after an hour's effort, and had litterly handed the rod to Kailyn in mixed feelings of disgust and anger.Thirteen minutes later, Kailyn landed a three pound Traken.

" Its that damn bait," Rouk growled.

They had travel a good five kilometers across the Guild northwestern border, a kilometer further than Kailyn would have liked, towards the growing fields of iceberries near the _Ignus_ river, where they could not only get a fair amount of berries, but also some freshwater fishing, they had notice on an early expedition that this far northwest had less air patrols.Kailyn and his gang had spent an hour buried in the bushes filling their knapsacks with the season ripe berries, once they had stopped and nearly bolted at the sight of over a dozen Guild aircrafts flying overhead.Twice they had seen a pair of Y-18C _Covera Ar_ helios of the border patrol guards patrolling the area, but neither patrols had come close.They didn't expect to run into a mobile suit patrol because those were rare and Kailyn was confident they could hear the thirty ton machines long before they got close.

His knapsack lay next to a vine covered rock, stuffed with three plastic bags; each filled with color co-ordinated iceberries after only forty-five minutes of work.Oban was no where to be seen.He'd practically disappeared into the bushes the moment they had arrive, and hadn't been seen since. Rouk had found himself a nice spot to fish, while his two friends did most of the work, as usual.

The local forest population was out in full force today.His gray t-shirt kept a few of them off his skin, but his exposed arms and oval face attracted an unlucky few.He tried to ignored them.Quite a few of the little buggers had found themselves to the surface of the running stream, and the ever hungry trakens were going after them.Every time he saw a splash, his better than average reflexes cast the feathery lure towards it.The rod bent for the sixth time in forty minutes.

" Oh man, I'm good!," he hooted, loud enough for Rouk to hear.Rouk head's came up among some brushes, shook angrily, and he moved several meters away and down in a shrub of bushes.

Kailyn loved this kind of fishing.All his expirence before hand had been in Oban father's boat in the middle of the open sea, but the principle were very much the same.He let the traken pulled against the line, but not much, just enough to wear him out, as he worked the rod up and down, drawing the fish upstream into the rocks as he backed slowly away.Suddenly he tripped over a rock and fell backwards into some shrubs, managing, with little difficulty, to keep his rod-tip high, struggling to his feet, he stepped back, the rear of his trouser stain bright green.

" Krill."He turned around to see Rouk and Oban laughing, Oban dropped the pair of knapsacks he was holding and watched him worked the fish in and slowly began moving forward.A minute later, Oban grabbed the rod-tip and pull the traken clear of the water.

" Nice, sucker has to be seven pounds." He held it up high."

Six months ago Kailyn had caught his very first first at nine pounds; with no former experience in the art of fishing to the dismay of his friends, but this traken looked bigger. He reeled the line in as Oban walked towards him, fish in hand.

_' That's seven fish in last than an hour, or a week's worth of food_, he thought.

" Looks like we're done," Oban said, hazel eyses looking around." We can't carry the rods, so I guess we'll ditch them tell next time."

Kailyn finished reeling his line in." Take the fish of the lure and lets get out of here...krill I'm getting hungry."

Rouk hopped over, wide grin on his face that made Kailyn worry a little." So you guys in or what." He bend and picked up one of the knapsacks Oban had dropped.

' _Here we go again_." You mean about joining the Foundation's army," Kailyn hid the fishing equipment in the nearby bushes, snapping a few branches to mark the spot for another day." Your forgetting, I'm not a Deikumian citizen, so I doubt they'll allow me to become part of their army.' _Like I really want to go near a mobile suit, after all these months without going near one.'_

" Tanith said that's not a problem, we can apply to their Foreign Legion Brigade, so long as we're willing to fight the Guild.Think about it, we get paid two thousand credits per month while we're in training and that only goes up once we graduate." he heard Rouk say.

" I don't know, who's going to take care my mom and sister, while my dad's away.The money sounds good, and boy can we use that," Oban muttered scratching his chin.

'_ Leaving Versa._ Kailyn found he had fallen in love with the town of Versa the moment he arrive almost thirteen months ago.Something about the small rural town some how made him feel safe.Perhaps its the fact that the Guild army had never bothered with the place, but why should they.The tetra ore mine had dried up years ago and it had no strategic value whatsoever.

Or maybe its that Versa town is about as far as one could be from Kalaro Isle's, from mobile suits and more importantly, this was the last place his mother would ever think to look for him.

The thought of piloting a mobile suit causes the bile to rise to Kailyn's parched throat.Shaking his head clear, he walked towards his own knapsack in a slow walk with a thinking expression on his face, even as his subconscious mind tried conrolling the sudden throbbing at the back of his head that had began a few minutes ago.

He stopped and picked up his knapsack, and began taking a few steps to retrace the steps they had taken to arrive at the stream, when he had an odd feeling they were being watched.Called it what you will;Nervousness, paranoia, a hidden sixth sense or a sleeping psychic phenomena.But there was that single tingle on the back of his neck, the slight shrinking of the skin, add that to his sudden throbbing headache, the same throbbing headache that had gotten him out of more scraps than he ever hope to count, he had no doubts they were being watch and very closely.

Something or someone was out there, their eyes observing them.He'd felt it the moment he had began fishing, but for the most part had ignored it, but now the throbbing had increase in intensity.Stopping in mid-stride, Kailyn looked about, trying to pick out anything in the walls of green and yellow leaves with his perceptional eyesight, for an instant he would have sworn on his deathbed, that he had seen a bright red flash that vanish as quickly as it appeared.It was as if the trees and his mind were playing a cruel trick on him, mocking him.

Then, as if it had suddenly been conjured up out of thin air before his very eyes.Kailyn saw it.At a distance of thirty, maybe forty meters across the stream, half way hidden by wild chorus of trees was a mobile suit.

_' How'd that thing got so close without us hearing it, more important why hasn't it attack us_," Kailyn glance at Oban and Rouk, already making their way through the path and tilted his head downward, better to feign ignorance of the suit and the pilot may leave them be, plus he needed time to clear his head.He had dropped his guard, that much was obvious, he had never been one to drop his guard, not during his early teens when Annita Starken had taken to training him personally herself, and never during the MSBC he had endured.'_ I will keep my mind clear, body clean, alert and strong for this_ _is my debt to those who depended upon me for protection._'That was the code he had lived by for months.

Months of living in the comfort of Versa town, had allowed him to drop his guard little by little until he was barely a fraction of his former self.

As a child, Kailyn had never been allowed to get involve in extra curriculum activites.An introvert, he was rarely allowed to compete in after school activites with other boys, though he had wanted to, pre-military training under his mother's ever watchful eye had denied him that, although it had also developed his physique beyond those of his peers, it had also rob him of any sort of normal life.

It was on his fifteen birthday that Kailyn had been force against his will to join the newly formed Kalaro Isles Defence Force Mobile warfare school.Annita Starken's after school pre-military training was nothing compare to his first taste of true Army discipline, for five long weeks he endured hours of seemling endless running and calisthenics, the grueling exercises all in preparation for his acceptance at one of the finest mobile suit training facilities on the planet, Ratheon Institute.

Kailyn hated mobile suits.The idea of being strap to a chair fifteen meters high, within a yard of a fusion reactor that could easily vaporize a town wasn't his idea of fun, it was downright freightening before he had even taken the controlls.His relief after his fifth and last sessions was almost embarrassing.

Two years after his enrollment, Kailyn Starken stood in uniform at his graduation, prepared in body, but not in mind to attend the twelve weeks of Phase One Mobile Suit Basic Courses (MSBC) at Ratheon Institute, Kalaro Isles.

With the war in Lucan over and many nations and corporations now developing there own mobile suits, mobile suit warfare itself was still in its early stages of development.The three major nations and corporations happily band together to fund a neutral semi-military research organization to assist in developing and in assessing tactics, and the testing of new technologies, that organization became Ratheon Institute or better known by its selected candidates as Mercenary school.

The Mobile Suit Basic Course was one such courses, designed to produce the world's best mobile suit pilots.In essance, it was a warfighting course, every aspect of training intended to prepare the new selectees for actual combat.MSBC training had zero tolerance for anything less than total physical and mental commitment to excellence.

_' Starken, you can't keep cruising through life and death descisions!Kill or be kill! Is that clear.'_

_' Yessir, Sergeant Civich.'_

Twelve weeks.Eighty-four long days of being tired, wet, and hungry.For Kailyn and the thirty-six selectees tht passed it was just a preview of what lay ahead.

_Phase Two._

It takes a special breed to make through Phase One and an even rarer breed to make it through Phase Two MSBC, and Ratheon Institute had quickly became known as the best school to breed the top dogs of the Special Operations Forces community, more so than the Guild's vaunted Elite Zyber Forces, masters of special light infantry, infiltration and assassination operations on land, sea, and air.

For Kailyn Phase Two turned out to be the most ' witholding' training he had ever endured." Withholding, referring to the total lack of adequate water, food, and sleep. Over the next fifty days he endured and survived freezing temperatures, mental exertion that was often beyond the point of abuse.He lost twenty pounds of muscles and fat from his already-trimmed physique, but successfully maintain a positive attitude even though his fellow classmates, the very best Kalaro Defence Force had to offer, were decimated by flu, hypothermia, broken ankles, twisted necks, worn-out tempers and a simple lost of intestinal fortitude, ironically assisted by surreptitious low doses of cholera.

Under the instructors watchful eyes (coerce by Annita Starken), Kailyn Starken was transferred to Phase Three of the training, along with eleven others of the original fifty-six trainees.Here they learned the art of range combat, as well as advanced close range and hand to hand combat, both in and out of a mobile suit.

Six weeks in Phase Three MSBC training was followed by Ratheon assessment and selection (RAS) course.Another two months completing Q (Qualification) course of Ratheon Institute, immersed in guerrilla-warfare training.

It soon became clear to him that Mrs.Starken was pushing him to be the ultimate soldier- the ultimate killing machine.

It was during one of his nightly escapees to the nearest snack bar outside the institute that it happen, two weeks shy of graduating from 'hell', at the top of his class, that Ratheon Institute was wipe off the map by a major explosion.It was a day he would remember for the rest of his life.Over eight months of 'hell', putting up with that stupid MSBC training courses, and two weeks shy of graduating, some unknown government decided to wipe the facility of the face of the planet, and damn near took him along with it, it was pure luck he was alive today and the fact the institute food sucked as hell.He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he fail to hear Rouk and Oban calling out his name the first time.

" Hello Kailyn!" yelled Rouk across his hearing, and he looked up in surprise.

" Man, you just blank out for a minute, are you ok man."

" Yea, kind of got dizzy for a sec," whispered Kailyn, his right hand, rubbing his left arm, he could just feel the mark that only he and eleven others shared, part of him wondered if any were alive, but shook the thought clear, that was a dead past, better let laying dogs lay as Annita would say ." Let's go, I want to be as far from this place as possible in the next few minutes."

The trio clench their knapsacks and headed in the direction of the Southern Latana plains.Cautiously, Kailyn walked behind the chattering going on ahead, ears alert for the slightest sound of a multi-ton machine vibrating the ground as it moved.

" My father used to love fishing." Private Neko TeBerg muttered, manipulating the Grave's main camera to zoom in the direction those three young men had vanish, before snapping the mono-eye right and left, scanning the surrounding area." That's before the Guild border patrol built a checkpoint in the middle of the only road that could have taken him to the lake, damn near broke his old heart."

" Forget about the damn fish for a minute," snapped the cold voice of Vicati, as her Grave's right hand reached out and connected with Neko's Grave's right shoulder armor, initiating an unbroadcast 'skin talk' communication link between the two mobile suits." Can you confirm whether or not that guy saw your suit. It looked as if he looked directly at you."

" No way anyone saw me, don't you think they'd have bolted at the first sighting of a pair of mobile suits.Probably heard crickets or even a deer," Neko replied, as he adjusted his Grave's panoramic moniter and adjusting the view upward, watching the clear blue sky through the main camera screen.Satisfied there was no one else around, the mobile suit made a pivot turn to the left and started forward towards their next area of operation.

Inside her own linear seat/ panoramic moniter cockpit, Vicati flexed her numb fingers, popping her knuckles, while stretching as far as she could within the small confine space to pop her spine in the butt numbing chair.' _Maybe he's right, or they probably just don't care with a war going on, or they_ _have a sense not to do anything about it.Its kinda nice to see that some people are untouch_ _by this madness that's sweeping the continent._She, like many Lucanites had tried to cope with the Guild's occupation of her country for years, but it didn't work.The Guild Socialist Ministry was after all a super nation, and if they wanted to drain her country's mineral mines to help in there military built up, who was she to stop it, and while she had gotten use to it over time, maybe even began to accept it like many others, there were those that did not.In fact, she had only joined the LFA because of her uncle; whom she had been told had been killed in the war, and it was he, who had told her that if she wanted Lucan to be free, she and everyone that wanted that freedom had to fight for it.

Vicati had immediately jumped at the chance to do something for the greater good of her country, and the Lucan Freedom Alliance would give her that chance.She had trained night and day to become a mobile suit pilot, and nothing had made her feel such confidence in her abilities than when she had been assign to her very own mobile suit, fresh from the factory, ahead of more than a dozen others, who were more than qualified to have the LFA's first mass-produce mobile suit, and it was love at first sight for the slender, red-haired Vicati Elywarm.After only six weeks at the controls of the cockpit, she had nearly mastered the ERS-06B Grave's control systems.

Weeks had pass, and she had been assign a few menial task, such as patrolling, light reconaissance and a few light skirmishes engagements involving the Guild's 29th Terrestrial Fleet.She was only nineteen years old and had already seen her share of bloodshed, and to her surprise this recon mission only made her hungry for those light skirmishes against the 29th Terrestrial Fleet.For as long as she could remember, her uncle had tried to keep her out of harms way. By having her assign deep into the Gia Heights region, the only part of Lucan not yet under the Guild's full control and also the location of one of the LFA's secret base of operations.Her uncle had nearly succeeded, when a mobile suit team was needed to do some heavy recon inside Guild country, she had been one of the few volunteers, but her uncle had been quick to object, citing her lack of combat and experience in recons, but she had past that easy enough with a few choice words.Vicati had no idea then, she would grow to detest this assignment.

The move to there next area of operations was a short one, only 3900 meters from their last position.But it felt good to be at the controls and moving.

" Ok, I think this is it," she said coming to a full stop.She could not believe she was stuck in a forest, with three men, with no chance for a shower or hot meals, on a boring mission, in the country of her enemy no less.

" I think your right.This new position should put us directly in the flight path of those transports," said Neko gleefully.

Like she really cared, what good would this new location provide, it still wouldn't get her in a firefight with the Guild.

Her amber eyes shifted to her instruments, double checking to make sure non of her active systems were online.Radar and radios made electronic noise that an enemy might detect, and the one main point of this recon was not to be seen or detected if at all possible, only their electronic sensors hooked onto their tactical display was fully operation.Her eyes narrowed slightly as several blue dots; indicating airborne units appeared on her tactical display and began moving forward on a B-line towards there new position." Another supply run, that makes two in the last hour.Well, position looks about right, but we'll know in a few minutes."

The Grave did a 180-degree turn in 1.5 seconds, aided by the single vernier thrusters mounted on each foot, and she skillfully dropped the Grave on its left knee, while unlatching the 100mm machinegun with her left hand, taking care the right and left leg mounted ZT-M/36B 'Closer' missile launcher had a clear path upwards.She elevated the 100mm machinegun's barrel with the Grave's left hand and brought up the ZT-BZ/32C 310mm bazooka's collapsible stock onto its right shoulder armor with the right, resting the massive muzzle across a tree branch, in a ready fire position.The Grave's massive thumb flicked off the safety, automatically slipping a shell into the chamber.Vicati knew it was overkilled, but if one Guild fighter jinked wrong, she intended to light it up in the sky like a firecracker.

The three young men gone from her mind, she was glad to notice Neko taking a similiar stance with his Grave's leg mounted mid-range missiles, shoulder mounted gatling gun and 100mm machinegun, and she silently beg for the Guild flyboys to give her a reason to scratch that itch that had been bothering her for the last three days now.

Yep, i'm back, slight modification to the storyline itself, but no real change...Hope U enjoy the story, if U want fictional stats on the mobile suits mention, RR and post ur interest...


	3. Chapter 2

**Mobile Suit Gundam:Vanguard Blitz**

**Chapter 2**

" Hope you take good care of it, ma'am," the Chief Warrant Officer said.

It was a moment before Lieutenant Yatoya M.Lovichen reacted.The 249th Guards Regiment, 86th Airborne Division had been upped from reserve for only three weeks now, their deployment delayed by a lack of mobile suit pilots qualified to operate the new type of machine and the sudden promotion of its previous Commanding Officer, due to a sudden death within the_ 3rd Infantry_ _Division_ now fighting at the frontlines.Just back from two weeks of workups in _Senna Air Force_ base, where they were brought up to date with their new mobile suit, the 249th Guards Regiment was now at stand down maintenance period, to make sure that every mobile suit and every instruments were at peak efficiency, while cargo handling personals were loading equipments, ammunitions, spare parts, fuels and provisions for the Regiment's first combat deployment.Lovichen was still entranced with her new mobile suit, and never tired at looking at him; although a part of her yearn for the other varient, she was more than content with this new suit.She'd just checked up on its maintenance, as she had been doing twice a day for a week now, even though it had already been combat certified a dozen times over.

" Take good care of your suit, ma'am," said the Chief Warrant Officer." They're producing these new models in limited quantities, so if she happens to recieve any serious damage, well don't be surprise if you can't find the necessary spare parts to fixed her up."

" Him, its a him," Lovichen said irritated.

The chief shrugged." Won't matter either way, if He happens to get busted up, ma'am."

Lovichen stomped ahead of the Chief, never acknowledging the Chief's salute, who mumble to himself after Lovichen had move out of earshot, " Bitch won't last a week." Once within ten meters of the mobile suits, Lovichen paused, shaking her head as she thought about what the Chief had said, repeating to herself." Shithead, shithead."

Her mobile suit, stood less than ten meters in front of her, fully armed and combat ready beside its lesser brethrens, ready to help her climb the ladder of success; or drop her in an early grave.

The TMS-19A_ Gizen_ and the TMS-19B_Gizen _(_r_) were the newest addition to the Guild Socialist Ministry's mobile suit inventory, painted in her opinion; an ugly gray and green standard color scheme.They were shorter than the mass-produced TMS-17 Lupus and its many varients 14.9 meters, standing at 14.2 meters, three tons heavier when fully loaded and better armored because of the integration of tetra metal into the tensil titanium/high ceramic composite armor.Gizens and Gizen (r)s were designed as a high performance mobile suit with a maximum ground speed of 197 kph, due to the improved shock absorbers, auto-balancers, higher output of the vernier thrusters behind each boot-like feet and a refined OS, the Gizen is also the first mobile suit designed with two built in aerodynamic thruster binders mounted on its backpack, with two thrust vectoring thrusters, allowing it to fly independently at top speeds of 655 km/h at a range of 865 kilometers in the planet's atmosphere, while maintaining a high level of maneuverability that for surpass its predecessor.The Gizen double as a heavy assault ground mobile suit and an air-support/interceptor unit, that contains the latest-surface radar, optical and digital tracking sensors, infrared targeting sensors and a digital flight system that kept the mobile suit from an uncontrollable spin, all built inside its compact size body.

The primary weapons of the Gizen is a belt and drum-fed MS-TS1S3 4-barrel 25mm Gatling gun, that fires a mixture of 20mm armor-piercing-fin-stabilized-discarding-sabot ( APFSDS) and 25mm Armor-Piercing Incendiary (API) rounds at 2400 rounds per minute, built into its medium size forearm shield, 2 fire linked 40mm vulcan cannons mounted in the head, a handheld 42 round clip-fed TMG-23/R2 90mm heavy assault machinegun, 3-slot rocket propelled grenade racked; exclusively to the Gizen; mounted on its right shoulder, the Gizen (r) mounted a pair of 2-tube multipurpose launchers in its chest and a T-S/32 battery powered heat sword stored on its left waist, made out of a cocktail of heat absorbent minerals.

Lovichen tilted her head slightly to the left, near the hanger exit to stare at the collection of mobile suits being loaded for transport, until a month ago she had thought were the coolest models around, she immediately notice a pair of Gizens in there mixed. Rebuilt and upgraded versions of the TMS-17B Lupus B-type that had made its hallmark in the invasion of Lucan six years earlier, the new and improved TMS-17K Lupus X-type.The X-type was eighty percent identical to the B-type in outward appearance only, built exclusively for extended ground combat, with higher output leg mounted vernier thrusters, giving it an increase ground speed, mobility, maneuverability and an improve backpack and more powerful thrusters that far surpass that of the atmospheric flight capable AMS-117 Lupo.

The X-type also carried a more powerful minovsky type 2B ultra-compact fusion reactor, to compensate for the higher energy requirement, specialize filters for sandy environments, that could easily be modified for limited under water operations.The primary weapons were either two handheld TMG-20/R1 76mm heavy machineguns or a pair of TSG-19/A2 80mm shotguns, or either handheld weapon would be replace for a Gyan TMR-B-46/G 380mm bazooka or Zyan TLR-C-42/A 140mm cannon, both range weapons were clip-fed, shoulder mounted to fire.In addition to its primary weapons, the Lupus X also carried a T-S/30 battery powered heat sword, add on its assortment of back mounted weapons, the X types were a new breed of mobile suits fit for a frontline soldier.

Lovichen blues eyes looked around.There were dozens of warrant officers, identified by their gray and brown khaki uniforms, non-commission officers in their gray and blue uniforms and several specialist technicians in purple overalls, all working for the good of the Ministry inside the sixty foot high, forty-five thousand square foot hanger.Some were checking and rechecking the collection of mobile suits that were line against the walls, while others guided heavy mobile suit bearing vechicles out the hanger.This would be the last time any of these suits were given any type of detail inspection and the Captain was pulling out all the stops to get the 3rd Mobile Rifle Company, 142nd Mechanized-Rifle Battalion at peak efficiency before the march to the front.

Speaking of the Captain, Lovichen looked inside the hanger briefly, hoping to see the TMS-19B Gizen (r) belonging to Captain Memon Sellers, CO of 3rd MRC.She was only slightly satisfied with a ting of jealously as that particular mobile suit was gone, which could only mean it was already on its way to the front.

One mile north of the hanger, at the five airfields of _Suave_ military base, transports of the _Royal Reserve Supply Corps_ that had been flyig in and out of Foundation territory from the start of the war, where getting ready to lift off.Cargo holds were loading mobile suits, tanks, guns and crates of explosive ordance.Her hearing picked up the numerous roar of rocket engines of the transports preparing to lift off the runways.The Guilds Airlift Commands huge aircrafts would carry the troops across to the newly captured Gulvanize base, where they would link up with there equipments.Captain Slovan Netius, CO of 2nd MRC would have none of that, his pilots and personals would leave with their equipments, as Captain Sellers was doing, instantly ready to move into position the instant they set foot inside Gulvanize base.

Lovichen passed a red cuffed hand through her recently cut blonde hair, her blue eyes now locked on the collection of mobiles suits, until she identified the three Lupus X-types that made up her mobile suit team, the Lovichen team , like many mobile suit platoons that had not yet proven themselves in battle, they had no personal unit insignia, only Company and Battalion insignias.Lovichen wasn't concern about that, her platoon's time would come soon enough.

She let out a breathe as she stared at her uniform, she had to get out of this gray and white uniform, and into her pilot's suit ASAP, as was her team doing at this moment.She gazed back at her Gizen, its single optical eye locked in the center of the reddish X-shape faceplate remained dim, inactive and a deep throat like purr slowly escapes her puffed lips, as she tremble uncontrollably in anticipation of getting her machine to the frontline and into the fighting.

l

" Not another one!" Athan Corhoris muttered behind his field glasses, they were still just dots in the distance, but he had already seen those dots one to many times for the day." Have to be another convoy heading this way, that's the third one in the last three hours.Has to be one major operation in the making."

Varl grunted loud enough to be heard over the team's net.He could see the aircrafts, he had his mobile suit's optics and they were better than any old binoculars, but they were still to far away to tell the type." They don't look like CT-31s, same a bit smaller."

Athan eyes narrowed as the dots took shape." Your right, they are smaller...shit, those are AT-31s.Those are gunships, and they're well armed with those 40mmm vulcan cannons and 14.7mm miniguns.I count two of the bastards, and four fighters running escort."

" You know, the only time the Guild used those AT-31s is to run point for something very important," Varl said.

" Like mobile suit transports and high ranking officials," Athan muttered, eyes locked behind his binoculars and mind wondering why the Guild were flying so many convoys after another.

Athan removed the field glasses from his eyes as the roar of rocket boosters became noticeable.He watched the pair of dark shapes approaching in from the northwest, the huge aircrafts passed within a kilometer.The gunships were flying low, easily two thousand meters high and no doubt scanning the ground and air with there powerful sensors, the low density minovsky particles the Graves were spewing in the surrounding area would make detecting them almost impossible, and because their Graves were immobile and running at the barest minimum power, infrared would be just as useless.He hoped.

" I've got CT-30s with fighter escorts circling them, right behind the gunships." Varl mumble over the radio.

' _Mobile suit transports_.' Without turning to look, Athan went for the radio.

" Alpha One, we've just got confirmation that Gulvanized base fell three days ago, I repeat, Gulvanize base is in the Guild's hand and the airlift your reporting is reinforcement sent in to reinforce their positions."

Athan watched the aircrafts drew nearer with detest." Your kidding right." Having been a member of the LFA since its inception, he was one of the few members who was aware of the importance of the uphill land Gulvanized base rested on, and its strategic value to the Deikumia Foundation's defence.What had started as two Infantry Divisions, attempting to forge an opening into the defensive lines of Gulvanize base for two Airborne Divisions, had ended up being the focus of the entire Guild's 4th Guard Army for the last three months.

" This is not a joke Alpha One.As of now, your orders are to leave ASAP and head for the extraction zone.We expect your arrival in two hours and not a minute later.Do you read.Over."

" We got it, two hours.We'll be there.Out," Athan thought for an instant as the aircrafts angle in a flight path that would take them right over his team's position; _This group will pass closer than those_ _gunships._' He watched at six kilometers away and came to an abrupt decision." Armed your weapons, but do not activate your sensors, wait until they fly close enough to touch, then we give them hell." he thumb the hatch control button and sealed himself in complete darkness.

' _If Gulvanized has really fallen, then the Foundation just got a large hole in their south-eastern frontlines and worst, lost half of the country, including their main mobile suits development and production facilities_." He thumb the power up sequence for the Grave.'_ Stay calm, the war isn't over yet.We anticipated this happening within the next two weeks_.He adjusted his position in his chair until he felt comfortable and brought up the tactical display.Keeping an eye on the blue blips, he placed his right thumb near the activation switch for the sensors and his left forefinger near the missile activation switch for missiles and waited with more patients than he'd felt in days.' _That leaves Fort Bolus, we have to knock out this supply convoy and pray the General is working on a plan, cause if he's not.This war will be over in the next three to four weeks, and we'll lose any chance of freeing Lucan.'_

" Look's like we finally get to give our mobile suits a full workout," said Neko's almost cheerful sounding voice from within Vicati Grave's internal speakers.

Vicati inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with air, wiped her sweaty palms on her trousers.This was her day to shine; one of the massive transports was in an angle directly in front of her position, gripping both controls, she manipulated the leg mounted mid-range missile launchers forward for maximum performance.

The transports were cruising at forty-five hundred meters, with two fighters per transport circling five hundred meters above them.All in range of his fifty-two hundred meter range leg mounted missiles.All the training, planning, and preparations were over.

Athan was about to learn if the team's forty million credits mobile suits could do what they were suppose to do;close with and destroy the enemy by fire, maneuver, and shock effect.

The CT-29, code name the Vule by the Foundation, was an ackward, ungainly design, four thermonuclear rocket engines adjoined the 140 foot wingspan, with a length of a hundred foot, it could easily carry four mobile suits, if its load capacity could have handle it, luckily it could not.Athan couldn't help but be impress with the massive aircrafts, even if they were obsolete by todays standards.

" Alright people, targets approaching," Athan said into the teams net with a twinge of confidence ." Primary targets are are those six transports.Leave the fighters and gunships as secondary targets, but if you get a clear shot at either, then by all means."

Two fighters came screaming over his position and four more angle before his main screen picture.Ripe targets if he was willing to commit.A malicious grin form on his lips.Then he trained the mono-eye ahead and centered the sight reticule on the nearest Guild transport.Automatically a thin beam of light bounce off the target from the infrared sensor within the mono-eye.The range display came up on the heads up display: 6706 meters. The fire-control computer plotted target distance and speed; automatically elevating the 100mm machinegun.The computer measured wind speed and direction, air density and humidity, the temperature of the air and the machinegun's own shells, and all he had to do was place the target in the center of his sights.The entire process took less than two seconds.

Athan licked his chop lips in anticipation, watching the main screen like a hungry wolf would a wounded lamb, as the Vules draw nearer with each passing second, oblivious to what lay below them.He waited.The enemy continued to advance like a flock of birds to the slaughter house.5920 meters.And he waited.The line of transports was beginning to reach above the Latana plains.4700 meters.And he waited.The sweat was rolling down Athan's face and suddenly he wasn't to sure this was a good idea.Any misgiving he had about what he was about to do, vanish when the transports enter the 3500 meter range.

" Fire!" Athan yelled loudly over the team comm-net, as he thumb his fire control radar to activate and centered its roving reticule squarely on the target.His thumb toggle the launch enable switch, and his forefinger squeeze the trigger three times in rapid successions.The mid-range missiles left the launcher half a second apart.Their brilliant exhaust flames flash across his main screen as the solid fuel rocket motor of the missiles pushed them to mach 2.6, but he did not take his eyes off the missiles as they raced upwards for the transport.It took less than four seconds to cover the 3400 meters distance.He looked them all the way in with a wide grin on his face the entire time, even as he depress the weapons selection list for his secondary weapon, the _Replica._

Three infrared homing missiles angle for the Vule's left wing, two the right wing, the 6th missile simply plowed ahead .It happen to fast to get a clear idea of what exactly happen? The transport's left and right wing, with there four rocket engines exploded, the wing came off, and the CT-29 began plummetting violently downward into the path of the sixth missile, lost seconds later amongst a cloud of dust, fire, dark smoke and thirty foot trees.None of the fifteen crew, seems to have gotten out in time.

There was no time to celebrate his first kill with his Grave, already seven ' _Closer'_ missiles were streaking towards there own targets.Three seconds later, a pair of fighters blew apart in a blinding eruption of flames.

l

Twelve seconds earlier, circling at an altitude of five thousand meters, the twelve TR-19D Laspers of the Guild Air Force flew in there patrol patterns around there designated transports.There powerful search/missile guidance radars were shut down; against the wishes of the escorting squadron commander.Instead, they swept the skies with built in TV monitors that could identify an aircraft at over seventy kilometers away.The pilots curved there fighters around the sky, their eyes shifting out to the horizon, then back to the instruments, a cycle repeated every fifteen seconds.

The warning came back to back; first intercept radar, then surface-to-air missile alarm and then one transport was blotted from the sky.Three Guild pilots balked at the sight of the transport as it sparked and then began to spew black smoke, and then made a hard turn and then dove to evade.Seven 'Closer' missiles raced up to greet the Guild jets.The rear pilot in this trio was quick to climb, but his comrads was not so lucky, five missiles found there mark.The missile's 10kg warhead struck the jets head on, causing both to disintegrate into a pair of rolling orange ball of fire.The third jet kicked in his afterburners, dropping lower to aviod the burning wreckages.

" We've got enemy SAMs," The navigator inside a transport yelled to the co-pilot, who began screaming to the pilot to begin climbing, while the rest of the jets instinctively dove to evade.And then everyone's radar lit up.

The airlift now held all the elegance of a panic crowd.The pair of fighters escorting the downed transport headed in the direction, where they thought the missiles had come from and were caught looking the wrong way, when their threat recievers went off.One dash to the ground to evade.The other exploded in mid-air as the surviving wingman radio for help. Sergeant Varl Cumman blinked in surprise at his main screen picture at the sudden blast of light from above.As he blinked his dazed eyes in front of his main screen, a black shape seems to appear at the lower edge of the fireball.

l

" What's that?" Varl wondered.His main screen showed a single seat, twin rudder fighter with double tails.He cringed back into his seat, as the jet dropped fifteen meters above his head and unawares pulled the trigger of his control sticks in shock.

A forty-five foot muzzle blast decimated the shrubs that had been there for years.The mobile suit's hip mounted 125mm cannon jerked the suit back in recoil, ejecting the spent aluminum case.The shell came apart in mid-air, the sabot falling free, a 40mm dart made of tungsten and titanium laced through the air at almost two kilometers a second.

The projectile pass nowhere near the fighter; but it did scare the pilot into jinking up; in the midst of wetting his flight suit, then down to evade it, oblvious to the warning buzz of his threat recievers, a grave mistake.The bazooka round struck the wing broadside.The Lasper came apart around the shocked pilot.

The pair of Graves equiped with the ZT-G/38A 40mm gatling gun immediately begin spraying the sky with 7200 HE rpm.Firing over a rovering reticule, Neko hit a transport just beginning to climb.The wing and under belly section took over a hundred high explosive rounds, and the aircraft vanish into a deafening explosion that shock the sky and damage another Vule transport.

Vicati quickly switched to infrared and fired a single 310mm rocket at this Vule.It hit just at the edge of its underbelly.The Vules right wing erupted into flames and the aircraft sailed southeast trailing a black river of smoke.Vicati scanned the sky above, watching that seen repeat again and again.When a line of tracers missed a Vule, the Vule increase power to its rocket engines.This maneuver however, only added a few more seconds to its life because one or the other 'Replica' equiped mobile suit's rounds usually found its mark.She watched as an AT-31 and a Lasper, scrambling to avoid being hit by the hail of antiaircraft tracers, rammed into each other in midair, then disintegrate into an orange fireball.

Neko, who had been pissed at his missed opportunity let out an" Ah, neat! Hey, Vicati you missed that!" as if he was watching fireworks instead of the destruction of sixteen people and two multimillion credit aircrafts.As Vicati reflected on Neko's reaction, she too, had to admit it was kind of neat.

The two remaining Transports were now climbing and screaming for help from there escorting fighters.Both successfully open there cargo hatch, while climbing at full power. Unexpectedly a pair of mobile suits jumped out of the rear transport's cargo area, one after the other.

" Mobile suits..." Vicati warned over the team-net, as she watched the pair of gray and green TMS-17K Lupus X-types dropped from the sky, they used their powerful backpack thrusters to slow their descent, and barely touched down, when both simulthaneously raked the tree line with handheld 76mm heavy machineguns.Twin lines of tracers zip there way across the 800 meters distance to rip apart thousand year old trees into toothpicks with high calibre armor piercers in a matter of seconds.

Vicati stagger the Grave to its feet, amidst the rain of wood splinters and leaves, she knew the Lupus Xs were firing blindly, so instead her elevated main camera watched the transports turned west on her main screen, a mid-range missile chase after one.The missile fell short.

Bringing her 310mm bazooka to bear with the right hand, she squeeze off a round, while re-latching the 100mm machinegun with the other unto the latch on the Grave's rear waist, under the armor skirt, and well away from the thruster nozzles.

" There's two more more coming in," Neko warned, sighting the distinctive thruster flares of mobile suit backpack mounted thrusters, reducing the pair of Lupus Xs rapid drop in the distance.

" I can see them!" Vicati snapped.She saw the lead Lupus X snapped its X-shape faceplate in her direction, twin antennas projecting from the left side of the head.She fired again.

The mobile suit stepped to the right as the rocket left the muzzle.Vicati watched the smoke trail the rocket motor spewed passed over the Lusus X's former position in mixed awe and frustration.

" Missed him!" Vicati swore over the team-net.

" Time to fall back," Athan announced suddenly." Head straight to the EZ at best speed.I'll cover you."

Neko was already beginning to backstep his Grave as he sprayed round after round from his gatling gun, skillfully he twisted hard left on both twin sticks, while releasing the trigger.The mobile suit turned left at his command and then he pushed both forward, while stomping hard on the foot pedal, the Grave vanished ahead into the bushes, with high velocity tracers smacking into the nearby trees and showering him with branches and leaves, three lucky rounds caress the Grave's left torso armor, stripping away a thin layer of armor plating as it vanish into the woods.

" Eat this you Guild son-of-a-

An experienced Sergeant who zigzagged this and that way, piloted the lead Lupus X forward across the grassy fields in hopes of closing the distance within targeting range of his 76mm heavy machineguns.He evade every other second, an now brought his mobile suit left again- Vicati fired off her final round.The Grave shudder as the shell left the barrel.Already her team-mate and wingman had vanish from view of her secondary cameras, she could only cursed him in frustration.

" Hit! Nice shot, Vicati!Now go,I'll cover you."

The rocket had hit the Lupus X square in the protruding torso.The Guild's new frontline mobile suit exploded into a fireballl off scrap titanium/high ceramic composite armor, its head flying thirty feet into the air.

Vicati reloaded the bazooka, then complied by back stepping into the trees, the branches parted and return into position as if to conceal her Grave's silhouette in its hasty retreat.

" You to Varl, get going?" ordered Athan as he spit a line of high velocity 40mm HE rounds between himself and the, now caution Lupus X, scoring multiple hits acros its lower and upper torso, hits that were designed to decimate any convention vechicles and aircrafts or even a Lupus B-type, but an X-type was a completely new breed of war machines entirely, built to exceed and withstand any punishment its lesser brethrens could not.

Angry at himself for his earlier performance, Varl waited until Athan had switched to the 100mm machinegun, before centering his reticule on the Lupus X.His target was unagreeably mobile as he depress the trigger, before making his retreat.Athan watched the ground exploded behind the Lupus X, the cloud of dust and debris had the desired effect of distracting the Lupus X's pilot.

He brought the reticule to bare on the Lupus X and fired the 100mm machinegun,even as the Lupus X's pilot recover himself and began returning fire with its own guns.Athan watched as the line of tracers raked across its torso and head, destroying its sensors.The mobile suit seemed to dance as it was riddle with tracers, collapsing to the ground in a metal heap of punctured armor.

' _Where's the other two_," noted Athan, Grave turning slightly, mono-eye snapping right and left seeking additional targets.The two Lupus X's were still over two thousand meters away and closing rapidly.

' _Suck it up nutsuckers; by the time you get permission to cross into Foundation territory, we'll be_ _long gone,"_ As it was, he was already sprinting into the trees and venting low levels of built up minovsky particles through a special port in the Grave's chest plate, to cover his retreat from any surface search radars, as he headed southeast in a pre-plan route at more than 180 km/h.

l

Kailyn heard it first, and his head jerked upwards at the sudden noise, the familiar roar of a rocket-type driven aircraft.He saw a black mass trailing a river of smoke approaching in from the northwest, 1200 meters off the ground, the behemoth passed within half a kilometer.The aircraft was undeniably in serious trouble.

Oban saw it moments later." What the hell is that?" he asked mystified.

'_ That's a Guild mobile suit transport type ship.Judging from its shape, its a Carriage.' _Kailyn thought, looking around for a sign of any other aircrafts.There was none.

" What happen to it," Rouk muttered.

They watched it swoop passed, a wounded monster whose right wing trail burning propellant.The pilot was trying to maintain altitude so the crew and mobile suit pilots can escape, but all two of his right engines were gone and the left one's were losing power rapidly.A sudden excited chill pass within the young men, as three shapes emerge from the front under belly and the aircraft stagger and dropped, rolling pass the southern grassy slope, towards the large rock formation in its path. No one else had manage to get out.Kailyn concentrated on the three descending parachutes.Instead of drifting into the grass below, the parachutist were coming down to the rock filled slope directly over their aircraft, which surprisingly hadn't exploded, but instead was doing nothing but bellowing thick black smoke skyward.

" Oh, hell, they're going to land into the rocks! Come on," Rouk yelled.

Kailyn exchange a glance with Oban, and stood still as Rouk dropped his knapsack and slidded down the path, heading towards the aircraft.The parachutes dropped ahead of them as Rouk ran forward, disappearing behind a large boulder.One by one they dropped, looking like dark green mushroom that covered the bright afternoon sky.Oban begin moving next, running faster in order to catch up with Rouk, while trying to remember where the last 'chute' had landed.The camouflage chutes dropped rapidly into the rock formations.

"Where are those two...damn fools, what do they think they'll accomplish," Kailyn wondered dropping his knapsack and giving chase, his eyes searched for either Rouk or Oban as he approached the rock mounds.Suddenly his body went rigid and the hairs at the back of his neck stood on end, and for a millisecond he wondered why.

The there was the sound of three rapid thunderclaps, followed by three more and a scream that pierced his ears and put his heart in his throat.He stop running, his eyes scanning around, but he couldn't see anything through the rocks before his eyes, only the screaming reached his ears.

Taking a few caution steps into the rock formation that rose to the sky like several giant termite mounds, Kailyn looked around for any tell tale sign of Rouk or Oban, and silently hoped his friends were alright.

The screaming, which had subsided only for a moment, started up again with a vengeance, moving quickly towards that sound, he walked behind a chest high rock mound and found himself looking at a green flight suit crouching less than twenty meters away.

Curiosity over-rode caution and he stared at the person, taking a few slow step closer to the mound.Kailyn lowered his gazed towards the screaming.A few meters away, ten, maybe fifteen, to the right of the person in the flight suit, lay a shape in red and white clothing that he remember seeing from somewhere, but at that moment couldn't remember from where, flailing its arms and legs madly as the head jerked from side to side, screaming with all the strength it had left and throwing off sprays of blood from numerous wounds as it did so.The motion of the head from one side to the other gave the scream a strange warbling effect, like the siren of a police car he'd seen in the streets of Kalaro Isles. The sight of the face as it jerked, made him gasped in shock as he recognized the contours of Rouk face.The flight suit shifted, the person looking up and for the briefest of moments, there eyes locked on each other, his amber eyes to the stranger's blue.A beautiful woman, who's flight suit could barely hide the curve of her slim body, strands of her short brunnett hair at that moment were caught by a light breeze that stirred through the mounds.She rose to her feet, holding an oversized rifle and as he stared transfixed, she raised her weapon in his direction and fired a few rounds, as something behind him touched his left shoulder at that exact moment, making him flinch.

The bullets shot pass, one whined so closed it singed his cheek and thudded into something behind him that gasp out loudly.His ears rung, and for the briefest of moments he thought his head would burst open with pain, caught by complete surprised Kailyn threw himself flat on the ground as the zing and snip of several bullets cutting through the air and vegetation behind him.For a moment he lay there, pushing his face down into the dirt that smelled of iron and rotten vegetation, and tried to overcome his shock and collect his thoughts.A gurgling sound next to him, drew his full attention.

Turning his head to face the noise while keeping his head down, Kailyn was appalled by the sight that greeted him less than three feet away.Oban, lying face up, was arching the small of his back up while clawing at the empty sky with wild and disjointed motions.His eyes were all but popping out of their sockets, fixed in a unblinking look of panic and fear, as he spit blood from his gaping mouth.To see his best friend, who less than five minutes ago was laughing at one of Rouk's dull joke, reduced to such a state in a matter of seconds was unnerving at that moment, as the sudden hail of gunfire had been.For what seemed like an eternity, Kailyn lay there and looked at Oban, mesmerized by the sight before his eyes.In those seconds, there was no feeling of fear, no conscious thought.Only horror, a horror that almost paralyzed his mind and body.

The feeling, however, only lasted a moment.As quickly as it had overwhelmed him, it was gone, replaced by a flurry of action as he pushed his body along the ground closer to Oban and began to look for the wound that had felled him.Since he could not raised his head up off the ground for more than a few inches, the task was difficult.The fact that Oban's face was intact and that he was spitting up blood ruled out a wound above the neck.That meant that he had either a chest wound or a stomach wound, or had been shot in the neck.Crawling halfway atop Oban,Kailyn began to feel Oban's abdomen and chest with one hand while he reached for Oban's throat with the other one.

As soon as his hand closed around Oban's neck, he knew he had found the wound.Ignoring the sticky warmth that coated his hand, Kailyn felt for the actual site of penetration.Only when his fingertips touched the broken skin, did he look at Oban's face and found out that at some point during his search, Oban had stop moving and had quietly slipped into unconsciousness and died.

Suddenly he began feeling an over powering rage at his helplessness, in that instance, his emotions submerged in a fload of adrenaline.He rosed to his feet and hopped over the chest high mound, using one hand as leverage on the rock and found Rouk laying face up and unmoving, blood dripping from multiple gunshot holes, that dripped to the side, to splat on the ground, turning the soil red with his blood.Kailyn checked him.He was dead.

Biting his lower lip from trembling until he tasted blood, he looked up when he heard a loud crashing sound in the distance.He tilted his head, listening.He wasn't going to let that woman get away with this.Raising to his feet, he sprinted in the direction of the sound.With murderous intent on his mind.

l

" This is not happening, how could those Foundation troops penetrate our border undetected," whispered First Sergeant Carlita Avena, Micekile Team, 2nd MRC, 142nd MRB.She kept the barrel of her MR-1 assault rifle aim at the boulder, her eyes ringing from the thunder of the last shot, she glanced at the young man, she had shot in surprise, feeling a twinge of guilt that vanish just as quickly as it had appeared, the anger of finding Captain Sellers dead by a broken neck was gone now, replace by a numbing feeling and a yearning to leave this place as quickly as possible.

She turned to face the boulder, and back to the young man, there was no doubt he was dead now.His once handsome angular face was contorted with surprised and pain, and his clothing was soak red with blood.The eyes which had some light left moments ago, was gone now, only the blind gaze of the dead remain.

Turning quickly in the direction of the down transport, she sprinted towards it.Catching a glimpse of parts and pieces.'_There'_ she thought sighting the balk of transport, beside the brush fires and momentary sparks that appeared, it seemd to be otherwise intact, she wasted no time in reaching the rear cargo hold; the rear door remained hanging on one side, held by a single bolt.Without a second glance, she rushed inside.

As she had expected, the internal cargo hold had been severely damage in the crash, but the two mobile suits inside were unscathed, held in place by there metal restraints.

Unable to hide a sigh of relief, she scurried over boxes of ammunitions and explosives, and up the left leg, and into the pilot's cockpit of her TMS-17K Lupus X.The hatched was already open as she had left it, before taking a stroll into the transport cockpit, nearly a fatal mistake, she slipped into the seat and thumb the internal hatch button and breathed a sigh of relief as the hatch close.Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, Avena depress the main power to ON as she strapped herself into the linear seat.The single mono-eye in the center of the X shape faceplate flared to life, and she gazed at the interior of the transport cargo hold through the main camera picture, then at her instruments.No warning lights, but she wasn't about to run a system check in her position.Her eyes shifted to the secondary cameras and she stared at Captain Seller's TMS-19B Gizen (r), while its was a superior suit compared to her Lupus X, she had no experience behind the cockpit of one whatsoever, only a select few were given Gizens and even fewer the B-type; its performance was said to surpass that of the A-types, and its improve communication capabilites in a low minovsky particle enviroment made it an ideal commanders type unit.One reason it would have to be destroyed, she could not allow something so new and high tech to fall into the Foundation's hands.

Or she could secured it and await the arrival of a rescue party, but she had low hopes of that happening, half of 2nd MRC had been airborne in those transports, the other half of the company wouldn't be airborne for another hour at least, and with Captain Sellers now dead, she concluded 2nd MRC would probably be place in reserve until a new commanding officer could replace Sellers, which means heading back to Guild was her best option, after destroying this suit.

Coming to her descision, Avena shifted through her weapons selection list and decided on the _Empus_ mid-range missle launcher on her Lupus X's left shoulder hardpoint, if that didn't destroy the transport along with the Gizen (r) she summarized ,she could always fall back on her _Gyan_ 380mm bazooka, but first she had to put some distance between it and herself, she gripped both control sticks and manipulated them forwards, wrenching the Lupus X free of the steel restrainst, sending them crashing to the ground, and she expertly guided the Lupus X forward.

l

As his feet pounded the ground for forward momentum, Kailyn began to feel his muscles beginning to relax, as if his body was beginnning to remember the abuse at Kalaro Isles, compare to that, this was a cake walk; of course walking nine kilometers between Versa and his home on a daily basis, seemed to have kept his stamina at its peak and he pushed faster.As he turned around a rock in his path, he could make out the downed transport in front of him, he headed around what was left of its left wing to the rear cargo hold.Suddenly the ground shock, and he stopped in front of the cargo hold to find himself face to face; more in the lines of face to lower ankle joints; with a gray and green forty-nine foot tall mobile suit of the Lupus type, which varient, he had no idea, but at that moment it didn't seemed all that important, what he saw that was important was a 20 foot weapon, with an exceptionally large muzzle mounted on its right shoulder and clench in its massive right hand.

_' Bloody krill'_

It took its first step foward, exiting the cargo hold and he stepped aside, out of its path, as it leisurely thundered on a northwestern heading. He moved in front of the cargo hold and stared at its backpack, clenching his fist tightly until they popped his knuckles, cursing he rested his bloody palms on his thighs, as he filled his lungs with fresh air.He barely realized he didn't feel a bit tired.' _Damn Lupus, how am I going to get that bitch now, it'll take a high yield rocket propel grenade to crack that armor, or a tank's HEAT round, shit even a mobile suit would look good right now.'_

Cursing for all the world to hear, he turned around to face the inside of the cargo hold, fighting back tears as he shifted his gaze to the ground, staring at the footprint of the Lupus in the ground.'_ Why_ _me '_ he looked up and his eyes widen in surprised at what he saw in the cargo hold.And a malicious smile widen on his once trembling lips.

_' Now this is what I'm talking about, fuck an RPG or a tank.'_

" Breath while you can bitch, Hades got your invitation and I'm going to hand it to you personally," Kailyn swored through clench teeth with more bravado than he actually felt as he run forward.

He stop less than a meter in front of the mobile suit and stared up at the most destructive weapon mankind had ever created for a split second, and in that second he got all the information he wanted.It was armed, appeared undamage in the transport's crash landing and only one course of action would determine if it was operational; unfortunately for him, Kailyn had never seen this type of model before; he had to inwardly admit that going up against a Guild pilot with a new type of machine, whose capabilities and armaments which were unknown to him, after thirteen months of not piloting a mobile suit will be more than challenging, even with someone with his elite training.

_' Why couldn't this be a Lupus, hell I'd settle for a B-type right now_,' he thought dryly, his right hand reached out as he stepped forward, gripping the left leg, he hoisted himself up and began climbing towards the torso armour hatch, not surprisingly it was open; Guild pilots were well known for forgetting there mobile suit's hatch keycode, especially in dangerous situation.

Kailyn stuck his head inside the cockpit, a slight dizziness at that moment seem to overwhelm him, but the sudden smell of sweat, leather and dried blood that greeted his nostrils, erased the nausea that gripped at his stomach and erase any disjointed thoughts he had, slipping right foot first into the leather linear seat, he began strapping himself, while his left thumb depress the internal hatch control switch, without prior knoweledge of its where abouts.

His eyes darted over the impresive array of control guage." Oh krill, the control set up is almost identical to the AMS-04A Lupos."

Of all the TMS-17 varients, Kailyn hated the AMS version the most. He had nearly loss his bowels during his first flight back in Kalaro's mobile warfare school, and had never taken to the idea of flying five thousand meters high at barely 480 km/h, inside a mobile suit that not only had some serious heat issues, but was more fitted for ground combat, the forty-five minute flight time of those Lupos had been a godsend.

Internal MS heat tracking system was to his upper left, beside the maximum MS energy output gauge, weapon selection pad was attached to the right side of the seat, speedometer on the lower right, altimeter directly beneath it, radar moniter in the center, below the inactive main screen.A pair of communication screen on each side, with speakers for internal and external communications: attach on both side of the seat, the joysticks protruded upward, with a trigger each and various red buttons, throttle control to his right and both foot pedals underneath his hiking boots.

Dispite the heat, Kailyn felt a sudden shiver run down his spine as he depress the power control with his right forefinger.Immediately he looked up as the noticeable tremble eminated from within the mobile suit.It vanish as quickly as he had felt it, the inside of the transport materialized on the panoramic moniter in front of him, with real time visual recording from the mobile suit's optical and digital cameras with the most clearity he'd ever seen in a mobile suit.

Kailyn gripped both controls with his hands without hesitation and pushed them forward, while depressing the left foot pedal, knowing from his experience in a Lupos, that the right pedal controls thrusters; slowly he read the screen as the mobile suit moved." TMS-19B Gizen Refine, the Gizen hey.What kind of stupid name is Gizen."

The Gizen stepped forward, rapidly increasing its step and speed, he immediately reduce pressure on the foot pedal as the machine exited the cargo hold and into the sunlight.Manipulating the controls, the mobile suit moved forward at his direct command inputs and Kailyn marvel, at its response speed.

His eyes suddenly widen in surprised and his head turned right and left inside the cockpit as a continous beep sounded on the threat recievers.He turned his head to stared at the main scream and went pale.Less than seven hundred meters in front of him, knelt the gray and green Lupus, that the computer quickly identified as a TMS-17K Lupus Xtreme type, with both hands holding its massive handheld shoulder mounted weapon, that came up as a 380mm Tactical Mid-Range-Bazooka-46/Gyan and it was pointing directly in his direction, with a wisp of gray smoke partially shrouding it from view.Believing the Lupus X was on the verge of firing, Kailyn moved away from the cargo hold to take cover, as the warning buzz from the threat recievers continued to permeate inside the cockpit.

He did not, however, got far as the ground beneath the mobile suit seemed to shake up.Not understanding what was happening.Kailyn stared at his main and secondary cameras and watched in horror as an immense, bright yellow fireball, propelled by stored ammunition boxes and fuel, was force out through the transport's cargo hold and straight at him.

_' Bloody krill!!_


	4. Chapter 3

**Mobile Suit Gundam : Vanguard Blitz**

**Chapter 3**

The flight in was bad enough.He'd come aboard a light helio, racing in at low level to** Suava** military base west of the city of **Orboss**, no more than three officers to an aircraft.All had been summoned together, but Colonel Nevano Tional wondered just how much trouble could a few _Forward Border Patrol Outposts_ expect from the already retreating Foundation army, when the frontlines were over four hundred kilometers across the border.From **Suava** military base, another helio took him alone to his command post, fifteen kilometers outside the _Orka Forest_ and twenty kilometers west of the _Deikumia Foundation _border.The tall hills around the Southern Latana Plains held powerful radars, anti-aircaft batteries and mobile SAM batteries to prevent a Foundation air attack and two Mechanized Rifle Companys that made up the balk of his ground forces, now relegated to a patrol role.What a waste.Most of the outpost personel were active, far more than usual the Colonel notice and it brought a smile to his face, that the men and women under his command where not slacking off on there duties as usual.

Colonel Tional watched as a quartet of helios lifted off from their helo pad.The Y-18C Covera Ar was the largest hydrogen-2 fuel cell powered crafts, two disk shape hovercraft systems on each side.Equiped with a tri-barrel 40mm gatling cannon under its arrowlike nose and an additional two 20mm rotary cannon on each side.Under the side belly of the Covera Ar, attach to racks near the hover craft systems, mounted an eight rack High Explosives rocket pods, next to an infra-red beam guided four tube High-Explosive Armor Piercing anti-armor missiles, with a very effective electronic countermeasures system in a very versatile, nimble and well armored fast attack helio.The four Covera Ars circle the base once and headed of in a northeastern direction.Tional blue eyes scan the Covera Ars heli pad as his own helio landed on its own designated spot, and instantly notice that all eight of his Covera Ars were missing, the only helios in sight were the four Y-18D Covera Ki heavy attack helio, there had to be a very good reason why so many of his only airborne assets were aloft at once, when the amount of fuel he was allotted was not only carefully monitored by his residential adjutant, but was barely enough to keep a well rounded air patrol going for more than a few hours per day, someone will pay for his.

_Speaking of the devil_.

Major Suran Quito, his Executive Officer, came speeding up in a green jeep driven by a Staff Sergeant to meet him.There was something missing, but he was to hot up about his missing airborne assets to immediately discern what it was exactly..

" Why is it two-third of my entire airborne units are off the ground all at once, Major," Tional demanded, in the midst of setting foot on solid ground.

" I dispatch them in reponse to a sudden attack that happen within our patrol sector, sir," Major Suran Quito answered, guiding the taller Colonel towards the jeep's leather backseat." An unknown number of unidentified mobile suits intercepted an airlift heading for the frontlines and retreated before we could intercept them, sir." Quito inform him of the situation as he sat in his seat, with the young brown haired SSG up front at the wheels, who immediately gun the engine and veered off.

" How many and what do you mean unidentified suits, are you saying you don't know what type of suits launch this attack."

" Not at the moment, sir" Quito answered." We're assuming they're a Special Operations unit, with customized mobile suit units sent to disrupt our supply lines, we're not sure how well they did, but we've confirm several transports and fighters loses thus far. Major Guile was patrolling with the third when the attack took place and is currently in pursuit.The Second team left a few minutes ago to provide support, we've also confirmed that several MSs from the convoy that survive the initial assualt is already hot on the enemies tails."

Tional slumped in his chair as the jeep sped to his underground headquarters a few kilometers from his main base.' What is that pompous Syber Elite Major doing on the field with the third MBPG team.His mind rattled with the sudden turn of events, he turn to his XO with a stern look on his face." Inform the second team as soon as you are able, not to cross over into Deikumia.

" What?" Quito was stunned.

" Orders from the General.All Forward Border Patrol Outpost are to remain inside there sector of operation until further noticed.Those orders as I was told came directly from Revil."

Tional looked up at the clear blue sky.He had just come from a high level briefing involving all five _Border Patrol Guard _Battalions commanders and General Ronivich Gulisnita, CinC of the 11th Guards Defence Brigade; in which he had given his word that his sector of the border was safe and unpenetratable less than four ago, and now here he was, back in time to hear his sector of the border had not only been breach, but the trespassers had also launched a successful attack against an invaluable supply convoy, and no doubt delaying much need supplies from reaching the frontlines at such a critical stage in the war.The Colonel didn't believe in coincidences and he was also a man who hated to suffer a defeat without getting his pound of flesh in return.He was never more happier than when he was sitting at the cockpit of his TMS-17S Lupus Commander Type mobile suit unit and an entire MS team challenged him to a duel.He usually won.If he sat on his side of the border and waited...those Deikumia units would either escape deeper into their own country, or that major of the Syber Elite Division would claim all the glory, if he manage to intercept them before that happens.If that happens, he would become the laughing stock of the FBPGs.But if he could somehow manage to successfully destroy those special forces unit before the Major, without disobeying a direct order from his superiors, his BPG outpost would have gain a notch in notoriety that could help in allocating additional patrol units, even some of those new Lupus types, that was being pump out of TreVelera Corp like running water.Yes, he would get his pound of flesh.He pointed back to the helipads, where the four remaining Covera Kis rested.

" How long would it take to launch those Covera Kis to retrieve our wayward units?'

Quito stared at the helipad for a moment with a confuse look on his face." Three minutes at best, sir."

A smile arc form on Tional face." Get me the commander immediately, with minovsky particles covering this area, a direct communication with our wayward units will be impossible."

As he prepared to give the necessary orders to have the Covera Kis rely a message to the 2nd BPD team to remain on there side of the border, the thought occurred to him that the longer he took to give the order, the further the 2nd BPG team would get.At a mobile suit's average speed, every second he delayed meant the team would advance at least thirty-eight meters.The faster they went, increases the chance of the 2nd team of getting there in time to assist the third team.A few extra minutes could mean the difference between catching those mobile suits or letting them escape.Of course, speed could work against the 3rd BPG team.If they manage to catch up to those Foundation mobile suits, and ran into trouble, the rest of the battalion would not be able to provide any ground support in time to pull its bread from the oven.Orders were orders and, as they say, not following them could get you shot.Tional ordered Quito to have the Covera Kis commander to meet him in the briefing room.He had a special mission in mind for the commander.

" What about the third team, sir."

Tional thought for a second." As long their under the command of a Syber Elite Major, there's nothing I can do.His orders surpass even my own."

l

The run from the border into the center of Vodina was fast, wild, and undetected.Following the same path of the 5th Scout Platoon that had led the charge into Eastern Deikumia three hours earlier, Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Erin Sol Brigade, under the comand of Captain Icina Phollia, prepared to turn southeast on the road for Anmen.While the high performance computer kept the Grave on a preprogramme course, Phollia lean forward in the linear seat cockpit alternating between looking down at the map she held in one hand and up at the camera view as she tried to read the street signs and look for landmarks she had been brief on.Not wanting to miss her crucial turned the computer had not been programme to make, Phollia paid scant attention to the scene around her.She noted that the street lights were still on, indicating there was still power at the sub-station and wondered how long that would last.Phollia didnt pay attention to the people of Vodina, until recently the Guild had impose a strict curfew, and most simply pulled the shades of their bedroom windows back to see who was entering their city this time.Phollia didn't even seem to be aware of a police car, lights flashing, as it came out of a side street, stopping just short of the main road leading from the border.The startle policeman driving saw the mobile suit, slammed on the breaks, and immediately backed up without hesistation or looking behind him.Though the police had no idea who or why the city was being over run with mobile suits, since the Guild 154th Guard Regiment that had recently occupied the city left a few days ago, he knew from a moments glance, these weren't Guild units and there was nothing he could do.

When Phollia saw the turnoff, she over-rode automatic control and gripped both control sticks, making a hard right.Tightening her grip on the twin sticks, Phollia grin as the Grave made the sharp turn that almost carried her into a line of park cars that lined the street.Once she was on the road to Anmen, Phollia leaned over to re-activate auto control and to look at her secondary cameras to make sure that the platoon following her also made the turn.In broad daylight it was harder to get lost, but she began counting mobile suits as they made the turn until her own Grave went around a slight curve that blocked her main view screen.By that time she had seen all three ERS-06Bs of her 2nd Platoon, as well as the lead modified MTR armored support vechicle, once a proud personal carrier, now relegated to a supply carrier in an age of mobile suit warfare, make the turn.

Satisfied that everyone in her company team would make the turn and that they were on the right road, Phollia turned to the main screen, looking at the shops and apartment buildings that lined the street on either side.There was little difference between the streets and shops here and those she had seen in Lucan.Those, in turn had reminded her of the streets and towns in Kalaro Isles, except that Kalaroians building were fewer, further apart, cleaner, and more colorful.Before turning her thoughts back toward her mission, it dawn upon Phollia that this whole region, with its buildings and dingy towns nestled in the hills and mountains connected by twisting roads, reminded her of the island nation of Kazan.Strange, she thought.In her year since being in Lucan, she had been with armored columns running and hiding through towns and across countryside without giving it a second thought.The idea of doing it in Kazan, however, was totally beyond her.When the last of the streetlights whizzed by below her as her Grave raced out the narrow streets of the town and into the countryside, Phollia looked backed at Vodina through her secondary cameras one more time.I guess, she thought, these people are already use to this sort of thing.

From the third story window of his small bedroom, a middle-aged Deikumian shopkeeper watched the parade of mobile suits and armored vechicles rolled by in the street below across the room, sitting up in their bed his wife wailed, struggled to over come her fright and joined her husband.Unable to do so, she called from the bed," Asef, has the Guild return?"

At first he didn't answer.It had been a long time since he had served in the army.But as a gunner on an SM2 Gaz tank station in Fort Bolus, he had been trained well to recognized enemy vechicles.The sight of those vechicles right there under his own bedroom window was a shocked.Finally, when he did answer, Asef meekly mumble." No, not the Guild."

That statement made his wife's eye grow large with hope as she threw her hands over her mouth." Oh my lord, our army has return."

Turning, Asef looked at his wife.He was about to ridicule her for making such a stupid statement, but then stopped.In this world of theirs, turned upside down with the Guild invasion of their country, and seven months under strict curfew with the Guild's occupying rear guard regiments, anything beside Guild armored columns was a sign of hope, however small.So instead of chiding his wife for making a stupid comment, Asef walked across the darkened room, reassuring her as he did so." No, its only the Lucanites."

l

Wide-eyed, Carlita Avena looked back at the burning wreck that was once a transport aircraft.From the bulk of the transport she could see intense flames burning it without mercy." What's going on? I could have sworn I saw that Gizen just before those Empus missiles struck."Almost as quickly as she had noticed it on her main screen, the mobile suit had vanish behind a wall of smoke, fire and burning metal. Suddeny from the haze of smoke, the Gizen appeared, racing out of the destruction, leaving a cloud of gray smoke like an abandone shroud of invisibility, metal fragments bouncing off its armored shoulders.

The mobile suit optics now stared at each other across the distance, one piloted by a train soldier, the other an ex-special force trainee officer, the sun reflecting off there thick armor as it gazed from above, unawares and uncaring about what is about to transpire, between the most destructive machines to be reborn.

Carlita Avena sat shock still, unable to do more than squirm in her seat as the _Gizen_ from the transport stopped in midstride, flames burning behind it, gaving it an apparition look.For the briefest of moments she had hope, that maybe the pilot was the Captain and that he had survive the fall, but that thought vanish just as quicky as it registered into her mind.She had found him with his neck twisted in an ackward angle after all.Maybe it was one of the transport crews.No, none of them had been qualified as a mobile suit pilots, let alone an advance new model.Then who could this be.

She release the left side control stick with her left black fingerless gloved hand and stretch it forth to the communication remote console and changed the radio's frequency from the company commander net to Micekile Team's radio net and shift her attention to the main screen.

The young man who's face that materialized on her view screen was young, maybe a teenager, with no facial hair, angry eyes and an angular face that appeared shocked, confuse and suddenly contorted into anger. The man's black hair neatly cut short, civilian style, which clung to his forhead giving him a rudeness, bad boy type look.It was clear he was no Guild soldier, as he wore a gray t-shirt with a golden colored infinity loop emblem on the front, and it was surely no Deikumia soldier military uniform either.

" Wh-wh-who...," she stammered in confusion.

The young man's stared in surprise at first, then recognization down on his face, shooking his head in anger." Fuck off, bitch." screeched into her earhole. Then his hand reached forward and the monitor went black.

A look of surprise flash across Avena's face and she stared at the black screen, and her face slowly contorted into a mixture of anger and contempt._How dare that punk talk to me that way, no one talks to me like that_.She cursed at the empty screen and depress the weapon selection pad for the support weapon, the Lupus X left arm rised the massive bazooka from its berth into a prefiring position.Avena smile as a circular roving recticle appeared before her eyes._I'm going to kill you,_ _you snot nose punk_.

The circular roving recticle turned red with an intermittent beep, leaving Avena wondering what exactly was that young man doing inside that mobile suit, even as her right trigger finger began to caress the trigger controls.

l

Releasing the OFF switch for the communication console, Kailyn turned back to the screen before him, he had no intention of talking to that woman.He had already decided to kill her, and he didn't want to speak with someone he was about to kill-- it might bother his conscience.Kailyn didn't want his conscience to remember this.But he thought about the woman for a few seconds nonetheless, wondering what sort of person would do what she had done.He expected to find something monstrous about her, but he didn't.She had looked like any other beautiful woman he'd seen in Versa town.He looked up.The Lupus X shoulder weapon's rear puff smoke and a flash emitted from the massive barrel.

_Oh Krill_

Kailyn knew that vast physiological changes occured when an organism sense danger.Adrenaline flooded the cerebral cortex, jolting the heart rate and commanding the brain to make the oldest and most instinctive of all biological decisions--whether to do battle or flee.In Kailyn's case, defend or attack.

Over five years of amateur and professional military training had hone his brain to reacted quickly to any shocking encounter, but thirteen months of living easy and comfortable begin to show, he stood there like a deer in the front of moving headlights, too shock and unsure of what to do for a millisecond.Then he reacted, sidestepping the mobile suit to the right, next to a large rock mound.The rocket streak within a meter over his former position at almost the speed of sound, to end its near-hit into the collection of rock mounds behind him, creating an massive explosion that was shadowed only by the burning transport aircraft.

Inside the cockpit, Kailyn stared at the rear view monitor as a mound crumple into rock fragments and a cloud of dust.Another rocket sped towards the stationary Gizen on tails of smoke;but Kailyn had already move the Gizen sideways, deeper into the rock mound formations, evading the rocket with inches to spare.

_Weapon..weapons ,"_ Kailyn's eyes dropped over the four buttons of the weapon selection pad and depress the nearest switch, in the midst of the Gizen's armor being covered with falling dust and rock fragments.The primary weapon on the Gizen left arm, the MS-TS1S3 quadruple-barrel 25mm gatling gun came online, and an octagon shape roving recticle immediately appeared on the main screen.Manipulating the Gizen's head to face the Lupus X, he watched the green octagon bounce from one side of the screen to the other, before resting over the kneeling mobile suit, already in the middle of adjusting its massive barrel in his general direction.It took nanoseconds for the green octagon to turn red with the blueish colored Lock On words, and he wasted no time.The Gizen and Lupus X fired simulthaneously upon each other.

Kailyn felt the chatter of the primary weapon throughtout the cockpit as the hail of 20mm APFSDS and 25mm API rounds connected with the 380mm rocket at three hundred meters distance, resulting in a massive explosion of sharpnels and dust.The entire area in front of the Gizen's main screen vanish into a dust cloud.Kailyn squinted, his eyes trying to catch the faintest glimpse of the Lupus X. Not a trace of the 40 foot machine could be spotted in the dust cloud and neither could he tell if it was in the path of the high-velocity tracers that continously expel forth from the multi-barrels.

The swirling of the 20mm gatling gun ceased abruptly as he release the right control trigger after expelling just 160 rounds.The threat reciever beeped loudly.Kailyn eyed it.A G-band warning unique to mobile suit directly from above.As if on cue the gray and brown Lupus X appeared in the cirrus clouded sky above, thrusters flaring a bluish-white, bazooka muzzle lowered for a death dealing shot.On instincts only, Kailyn quickly pulled both control sticks back, reversing the Gizen at full throttle as a round object appeared from the mammoth barrel with smoke on its tail.The impact of the 380mm bazooka round came seconds after he had backstepped away from its path of impact.

As the Gizen stumble backwards from the speed of its reverse, a rock mound Kailyn failed to noticed tripped the massive machine backwards, just as the Lupus X's bazooka barrel flash once again.The 380mm shell struck between the legs of the toppling mobile suit at incredible speed, splinting the ground open and creating a concussion wave that knocked the Gizen completely on its back.

_' Stupid, stupid,'_ he cursed himself angrily._Keep a damn eye out on your surrounding area at all_ _time_.Highly pissed, Kailyn began manipulating the suit to its feet, when a rocket type roaring sound drawed his attention to the main screen picture, he stared blinkly at the main camera as the Lupus X thrusters flashed out a hundred meters away indicated by the range finder, dropping the mobile suit on solid ground, its right hand reached for its waist armor and unlatched a massive blade, that was silverish black one moment and suddenly went white before his eyes.' _This type of Lupus even has a_ _heat blade_.'

He had just managed to raise the Gizen upright when the Lupus X's legs thrusters kicked dust and hurtle the suit towards him, heat sword raised for a killing blow.Kailyn knew he would never get the Gizen to it feet or level the primary weapon for a shot before the heat blade got within touching distance of the Gizen.

Right on cue, the Lupus X swirled the heat blade forward and easily stretched the blade outward for a single thrust aim at the cockpit located within the torso area.

Kailyn glanced at the weapons screen and vaguely noticed the words" Vulcan cannons." As a last ditched effort his left hand reached forward and brought the recticle for the head vulcan cannons online and depress the trigger long before the recticled could confirm a lock, feeling the all to familiar chatter that was more or less than powerful than the primary weapon.The twin lines of tracers stitched a path between the void that seperated the two suits and connected with a surprisng effect.The Lupus X studder under the barrage of high velocity shells and impose its empty left arm in front of its torso to protected itself, against the hail of tracer rounds that exploded on impact upon the Lupus X with little sign of penetration, while its thrusters blasted the mobile suit back and away from the tracers path.Kailyn manipulated the Gizen's controlls standing it to its feet, just as he release the triggers for the vulcan cannons.

'_ That bitch, _swore Kailyn inwardly,_ no fucking way she's that good.It's got to be that new Lupus_ _type, it's like an S-type with a higher performance_.He silently admitted to himself that that had been close, to damn close, but know that he had an idea of this Lupus capabilities.

Unfortunately there was little time to contemplate his next move.The Lupus X cut on its forward speed and closed the forty meter distance between the two suits faster than he could consider bringing the gatling gun up to fire.In desperation, the left arm of the Gizen rised its shield and took the full force of the downward slash that appeared before him.The impact of metal against metal vibrated throughtout the mobile suit as the heat sword met the surface of the shield and seperated, leaving a deep molten gush, and setting the twin controls vibrating in his hands.

Kailyn quickly glance at the weapons selection pad, and immediately thumbing the weapon on the list, that he had excel at.Outside he could hear the Gizens hydraulics moving, he saw through the main screen as it reached across to the left waist armor with its right arm, gripping the hilt of the heat sword and drew it out.

The Lupus X's pilot clearly saw the new weapon and close in quickly, heat sword in it's hand raised upward.As the four meter sword descended, Kailyn reacted and parry it with the Gizen's own heat sword, intercepting the blade before it could connect and both heat swords ringing loudly as they seperated.He twist the sword across his torso in a guard stance, as the Lupus stepped backwards, as if the pilot had been caught by surprise.

Without hesitation he launched the Gizen towards the suit, heat sword poised for a side slash.The Guild suit backed itself suddenly and quickly away from slash area, its heat sword tossed from its right hand to its left, catching it with ease, while its right hand went to its rear.Kaiyn had trained with and against enough Lupus B-types to know what that meant.

He quickly released the right stick, and his now empty hand flew across the thrusters activation controls, pushing the throttle stick forward and depressing the right thruster control foot pedal with to much force.The result should have- launched a normal mobile suit into a high powered jump; but he had no idea at the time, that the Gizen was anything but a normal suit.Its backpack, leg built and back thrusters binders flared to life.The thrust coming from those nozzles was so intense, yet focus, that Kailyn only felt being slammed against the seat with the sudden pressure of acceleration.The mobile suit shudder uncontrollably as it shot upwards within a matter of seconds.On the main screen a line of tracers fire zipped pass, but Kailyn was to shock at the brown and green landscape dropping away at a dizzying rate to take notice.

_'Bloody Krill_,' Kailyn screeched as his stomach began to knot up and he suddenly felt as if he was going to throw up.

Suddenly he remembered Oban and Rouk lying somewhere down there in their own pool of blood, their only mistake was trying to help other's in need and the person responsible for ending their life was somewhere beneathe him.The anger that swell within him felt like a cold blast of air against exposed skin.His left eye shed a single tear that burn with a mixture of helplessnes at not being able to stop what had happen and frustration at stumbling with a machine that should be as easy to control as riding a bike, part of him knew he may not survive this battle and worst of all he may not get his revenge, as the Gizen shot upwards on tails of fire, he slowly didn't care whether he died or not.One way or another, he was going to kill that bitch.

l

All hell was breaking loose.It was like a nightmare except you woke from those, Athan reminded himself.Atleast two Covera Ars were over head, scanning with there digital and optical tracking systems, a flight of four Lasper interceptor fighters had shown up on his radar screen and the two Lupus X-types from the convoy were still in pursuit, a squadron of Lasper interceptor fighters had shown up on the tactical display monitor, and now he detected five objects approaching from the ground and to top it off a single AT-31 gunship had join the party.

Athan and Varl had nibbled the odds down some.For the past eleven minutes, fancy foot and team work had killed a Lasper and damaged a Covera Ar, but the situation was deteriorating.The Guild were mobbing them, and they would not be able to keep them at arm's length much longer.In the time it had taken to localized, lure and kill a Lasper flying at supersonic speed, the Lupus Xs at the edge of his radar screen had closed three kilometers on them, making them near dead center on his radar.Like a boxer against a puncher, they had the advantage only has long as they could move and keep them away at the same time.

" Any ideas, Varl? Athan asked, moving between a pair of tree trunks and ejecting his empty gatling gun, the 1.8 ton weapon, with feed system and drum, dropped with a mighty crash that shock leaves from the surrounding branches.

" We could split? Varl answered." Alternate between keeping our radars off and on.

Athan contemplated that option.So far he was the only one to have his radar transmitter working, if only for ten seconds out of every four minutes.He knew any longer would carry the high probability that his radar signals could be detected at a far greater range than his own radar was capable of reaching." Two risky, there's no guarantee we'll link up later."

" Its a gamble," Varl admitted." But what isn't."

Athan cursed angrily." There's suppose to be a wide open field a few kilometers ahead.A couple of helios and fighters shouldn't be a problem once we hit open ground, its that gunship I'm more worried about."

" With those Lupus along, we'll have alot more trouble if we stick around here to long."

Athan swore silently.Signaling with the Grave's empty left arm, he turn the mobile suit until he was facing southwest, and ran, even as the shape of the massive gunship flew over ahead, its four 40mm vulcan cannons, raining shells upon the trees below.

Athan stared at his secondary cameras for a second, as several 40mm rounds split the tree he had been using as cover just seconds earlier." Shit, ten seconds earlier and that could have been me."

l

Meanwhile the Gizen had climbed above four thousand meters indicated by the altimeter, Kailyn in a momentary fit of rage, made his decision.Tightening his grip on the twin sticks until his knuckles went white, he pulled a general enable trigger on the left lever, while skillfully manipulating the control sticks.The Gizen suddenly stopped in mid-climb, backed flipped a hundred and eighty degrees and dove head first, firing its thruster binders, catapulting the mobile suit in a steep angle straight down towards the greenish landscape.Kailyn's eyes alternated between the main scrren and threat reciever intrustments;nearly every TMS-17 series was capable of carrying a nasty missile launcher and he had no intention of blundering into a quartet of SAMs.

_There you are, you murdering bitch_." Kailyn ease back on the sticks and reduce thruster output.The Lupus X was a hundred meters south of where he had left it and moving forward at a good pace." I won't let you get away."

He would never truly realize at that exact moment, he began piloting the mobile suit like a veteran or a craze maniac.The Gizen shot downwards on tail of flames with skillful manipulation of it's psychotic pilot.From below, the streak looked simply like another shooting star, except this one was more adaptable at changing its course in mid-air.

Stretching the left arm to its fullest, the 25mm gatling gun of the Gizen screeched with the sound of a chainsaw at full power.The entire mobile suit shudder in mid-air from the recoil of its primary weapon cutting loose at full burn.Lines of tracer fire spat forth across the empty void to explode the rocks behind the running Lupus X and quickly began snaking there way forward behind the running suit.The wildly scattered shells connected with the Lupus X's left shoulder armor with 25mm and 20mm darts.Kailyn cease firing within two hundred meters of the mobile suit and extended the heat sword upwards over the Gizen's left shoulder for a final downward slash.The Lupus X's own backpack thrusters flare on, kicking up a cloud of dust and blasting the mobile suit in an arc, and out of range of his heat sword.The Lupus X left arm, lost its gripped on its own heat sword, the weapon free falling to the ground and snapped its righthand, still holding the heavy machinegun forward and fired a burst at the airborne unit.

Instinctively Kailyn pulled the Gizen in an upward climb, the tracers missing him by inches, biting his trembling lip at the speed of the climb, he flipped the mobile suit around in mid-air, reducing thruster output to land the mobile suit with ease several hundred meters away.His mind recoiled from the near hit, but remain even more shocked at the Gizen's reaction speed.Had this been a Lupos he had been piloting, he thought.He shudder to think what would have happpen just now.

Kailyn began to feel dizzy now.He will himself to focus his thought anywhere.Gazing towards the Lupus X four hundred meters away, he snapped to focus like a static fill television screen, that someone had given a solid smack to clear the blurry picture.' _Enough_ , he thought, _time to kill this bitch and be done with it once and for all._

_l_

Avena had been shocked by the ability of the pilot to avoid her brutal long range assault, and even more shocked when close range combat had been just as ineffective, especially when most pilots avoided melee combat at all cost. This young man shouldn't even be able to move that suit, but he was was more or less operating it at its peak performance. Avena was not the kind of person to get careless, especially in a fight for her own survival, but she could swear that young man piloting the Gizen, was operating the suit as if he had prior knowledge of its controls.One minute he was barely able to dodge a bazooka shell at eight hundred meters distance and now he was doing aerobatic feats, in the midst of firing that gatling gun no less.Avena knew her Lupus X could never outpace the Gizen on terms of ground mobility or performance nor could its titanium/high ceramic composite armor handle more than a moderate burst from those 20mm APFSDS and 25mm API rounds.

She had expected this battle to be over in less than a minute, destroying this suit as per her plan and killing this punk kid as a mer bonus, but she had seriously underestimated this guy's ability to pilot that suit.Now she could only stare transfixed at the mobile suit as she tried controlling her breathing.This punk was seriously trying to kill her, and clearly showing that he could.

This was unlike anything Avena had ever experienced in her six years of piloting mobile suits.This was definetly not like training in a control simulated battle, she had to admit had it not been for those two weeks of workouts at Senna AFB, familarizing herself with this Lupus X, those tracers would have done alot more than stripe away a few armor platings on the Lupus's left shoulder armor.With a quick glance at the status diagram, her faced twisted into shock as she could clearly saw that the left arm was in the red zone, indicating its usefulness at reaching her Gyan 380mm bazooka locked on the left back hardpoint and as well as leaving her with no way to reload her heavy machinegun, which was down to its last 30 rounds.To top it off, her computer began screaming about the multiple areas of external damages that was slowly beginning to gave her a headache.She forefinger the manual over-ride and stared ahead, trying to think up a tactic and came up blank. She was just a buck sergeant after all, trained to fight and carry out orders, not think to up tactics, that was for stupid commanders that got themselves kill dropping out of an airplane.

As she stared in mute disbelief at the main camera high quality picture, the Gizen took a few steps forward, like a predator sizing up its chosen prey for a final attack, before she could blink, the Gizen's thrusters flared behind it, pushing the mobile suit forward at an unbelievable speed and closing the distance between the two suits faster than she could think to bring the 76mm heavy machinegun up to get a clear shot.In an ackward motion, the right arm of the Lupus X jabbed upward with the heavy machinegun, and she pull the trigger long before the barrel could raise above the grass.The lines of tracers exploded the ground as they walked upwards towards the high speeding suit, leaving a cloud of dust and debris in there wake and obsecuring her view, she quickly switched to infrared and watched through the cloud of dust as the heat bloom that was the Gizen snapped its shield forward, intercepting the lines of tracers at point blank range and then she saw a flash that went across her machinegun and barely managing to open thrusters and power jumping backwards and away, before the Gizen could follow up with an upward slash of its heat sword that still manage to catch the edge of her mobile suit's protruding torso.She could feel the mobile suit shudder from the near fatal wound.As it was, there was a sizzling, burning rubber type smell inside her Lupus X cockpit that told her just how close she had been to certain death.

_Who the fuck is this guy_!she yelped to herself shockingly._Son of a bitch nearly had me that time_.It was only instinctive action she had bounce backwards.Luckily only her machinegun had suffered the first slash, the molten metal already beginning to cool.

_My gun_! The realization hit her as the Lupus X continue to take short bounces backwards at her command, trying to put as much distance between herself and the Gizen as possible in the least amount of time.Swearing in frustration, she threw the remains of the machinegun to the ground in contempt, it scatteredd across the ground meters away from reaching the Gizen.

Avena bit her trembling lip, nearly drawing blood, even as her hair fell into her eyes, stinging them and obsecuring her view, while sticking to her forehead with sweat.This was not how this battle should be going, even as she brush the hair away from her eyes with her right hand, she could tell she was clearly outmatched._How can he posssibly pilot that mobile suit, without every having seen that type_ _before.Only a rare few officers are even given that..._

The line of tracers took her by complete surprise, interrupting her train of thoughts, the rounds raking her mobile suit across its torso and toppling her Lupus X backwards and over onto its back with the force of the kinetic rounds, against her commands.She screamed in surprise, as the falling sensation lifted her out of the chair and slam her back against the seat in the impact, she bang her fist against the console when the system momentarily lost power, leaving her frighten and in complete darkness for several seconds.Then the sounds of thundering footsteps approaching caught her attention, her blue eyes looked up into the main screen as it flicker back to life, instead of the clear blue skies on her screen , she saw the multi-barrel of the Gizen's gatling gun pointing down at her.She stared up in at the flickering main screen picture in pure rage, daring the young man to shoot.

She watched through her main screen as the Gizen's head looked up suddenly.

Four hundred meters behind Avena's downed Lupus X, salvation came in the form of a quartet of Y-18C Covera Ar helios used by the FBPG, having picked up their signal on radar and the commotion, they had approached cautiously in pairs to investigate.What the pilots had seen visually, had made no sense in their minds.It clearify quickly enough for them.

Avena watched in dismay on her secondary cameras, as a line of tracers from the Gizen's gatling gun tore through one of the hovering helios armor with little resistance.A second later, the helio blew apart into a blinding flash eruption of flames, composite materials flew everywhere.The burning wreckage dropped into the grass, evens as its brethrens scattered to evade the tracers in shock.

Frustrated Avena manipulated the controls, and the Lupus X stood on its feet with help from its backpack thrusters, just as a helio release a pair of HE rockets that slam into the Gizen's gatling gun shield.The mobile suit stagger backwards under the blast of the twin explosions, and retialated in the midst of backstepping, blotting this unlucky helio from the sky under a hail of 40mm vulcan cannons exploding rounds as the head spark with the flash of the rotary cannon.Although she was concern that some of her own country men were under fire, there was little she could do with an unarm mobile suit.The thought" better them than me," flashed through her mind.For a moment, Avena was ashamed that she could harbour such selfish thoughts at a time like this.However, she immediately was able to rationalized by reminding herself that she was only human.With that, she commanded the Lupus X to face the direction of the Guild border and took to the air.Whether or not those two remaining Covera Ars could bring down the Gizen (r) was up to the skills of the pilots, but she had no intention of sticking around to find out who won, especially in a weaponless mobile suit.

l

_I had her... another two seconds and she would have been dead.Damn Covera Ars_," Kailyn swore to himself angrily, as he raised the gatling gun shield against the hail of high-velocity tracers, that were trying there darnest to drill into the only source of protection he had, but to no avail.

In the midst of dodging a pair of rockets bent of claiming his life, he could make out the distinctive thruster flare of the Lupus X on a sub-monitor of the Gizen escaping and with it, any hope of ever avenging his friends murder.In a momentary fit of rage, the suit stopped on his command and he twisted the shield, exposing its gatling gun multi-barrels to return fire.Two distance smoke trails streaking down towards him caught his attention, and he had to move to evade, ruining his aim and preventing some serious damage to the mobile suit.

Running backwards he found out, was alot easier with this Gizen than it was for any other suit he had previously piloted, and he kept the Gizen's head locked on a helio as he stagger back.The octagon shape reticle went red, quickly Kailyn depress the trigger sticks, sending twin lines of high velocity exploding rounds from the head vulcan cannons.In a satisfactory flash, another helio came crashing down in a ball of flames.

For the first time ever in piloting a mobile suit, more than a year now, Kailyn found himself slowly beginning to enjoy it.He had learned the basics, like boring homework because he had to and not because he wanted to and that fact alone had made him hate it, but now there seem to be a thrill to it after all, like a hole in his life begging to be fill.Knowing that the simplest mistake could claim your life, but still having the courage to face death and laugh in his face, while giving him the finger.Even the suit was becoming familiar, yes, the Gizen was one hell of an awesome weapon.He was still amazed at the incredible power at his fingertips and the feeling, that he controll it where he sat was almost beyond comprehension.

Even as he considered what these new feelings meant, he began to feel an almost symboitic relationship with this mobile suit, like the sensation of riding a roller coaster and he had to clung on for dare life.Of course no one ever died while riding a roller coaster.

_Behind you_! the thought came like a thousand needles piercing into his skull and into his brain, there was no real pain, just a nagging sensation of impending dred.

A cold shivering sensation pass through his spine, and his body reacted before he could knowingly command it to, turning the Gizen around to the left and open firing on the Covera Ar with pinpoint accuracy with the head mounted vulcan cannons, milliseconds before the recticle could confirm a lock on.The Covera Ars pilot was soley concentrating on getting a pair of his HEAP missiles on target that the twin lines of tracers hit the stationary hovering helio before the pilot could react.The 40mm exploding rounds riddle the helio's armor with as much resistance as a cold slab of butter would a hot knife.The Covera Ar vanish into a deafening boom and a ball of flames, as it crumble to the ground.

He stared at the burning wreckage in shocked." What...what just happen." He slamped into the chair, his face twisted in confusion." Bloody krill."

Kailyn angle the Gizen's head upwards to scan the sky for anymore aircrafts, mainly helios for several minutes and made a quick visual scan of the surrounding area.He notice something odd, and he angle the optics forward and looked in to see what it was. There was a pair of fuzzy dots not two kilometers away.Kailyn eyes narrowed and he zoomed in that direction.A pair of blurry helios jump in on the main picture screen.His right hand reached out to depress a general-enable button, dropping the Gizen on its left knee." More Covera Ars.Shit, the Guild Border Patrol Guards."

They didn't appear to be heading in his direction, in fact they didn't seem as if they were aware of him at all, Kailyn became calmer knowing that fact.He knew what this mobile suit was capable of, and a pretty good idea what those Covera Ars were capable of.He had the superior capabilities and armor, but some pilot could always get lucky, the nine months of non-stop intense mobile suit training had taught him that much.That was war.Now he just had to figure a way to leave the area unnotice.He was alternately thinking about that and wondering about where exactly will he go, when, out of the corner of his eyes, the trees began shaking, curious he angle the cameras in that direction. Several minutes later from within the treeline, a green and yellow mobile suit emerge, and the pair of Covera Ars that had been hovering in the distant leapt forth like a pair of wolves, nose bursting with fire and he could only sit back and watched.To confuse, and unsure of what exactly he had gotten himself mixed up in this time.

l

" So there they are." the pilot of the lead Covera Ar said, as he climbed from a low level pass above the forest tree tops.The radar monitor showed almost white on the screen, a thick spoke of shapeless clouds moving one-six-nine.It could only be those Foundation special forces heading deeper into _Deikumia Foundation_ territory and spewing a whole lot of minosvky particles as cover.

" How far away are they," the gunner asked from the front seat.

" Atleast half a klick out and moving quickly," the Lieutenant answered." The minovsky particles increased in intensity two minutes ago, so there's got to be two or three suits tight together and spewing the stuff like no tomorrow."

" Do we even know for show how many there are?"

" No, Corporal." The pilot shook his head." We'll know once we hit open ground, until then your guess is as good as mine."

The Corporal nodded.The nearest Foundation control military base was easily over five hundred kilometers northeast of their current position.At that distance, the unit they were tracking had to be mobile, which meant few.He thought for a moment, the element of surprise was gone, but those MS had to be low on ammo after the chaos they had cause, right.Unless they had a resupply point nearby that we don't know about" Okay, where they now, sir."

" Got them!Right there, bearing two-three-four.Heat source confirmed"

" Might as well drop a signal flare on their position for that gunship to know we have them, and head to our intercept point."

One minute later the signal flare was dropped where they saw the IR forms were moving towards, the flare spew a red smoke trail upwards.The pilot increase power and turned wide right as the eighty foot wingspan AT-31 brought its firepower to bear on the area, spitting high velocity tracers from its eight rotary cannons.The pilot watched for a moment, before turning southest at thirty feet above the trees, to join the rest of the Covera Ars that should have already been in position.

He had been to the _Southern Latana Plains_ on the Foundation side of the border twice, today would be the first time for an actual combat engagement.He'd never take on a mobile suit in real combat before, only in a simulation, but he knew strength was in numbers and seven Covera Ars could handle a couple of MSs.Right.

_Soon_, he thought.The location they had chosen to wait it out, was entirely an open field, there would be no where to hide for miles.The pilot turned his eyes from the screen to his own weapons controlls.

The HEAP system would be the weapon of choice against a MS.A laser guided, anti-armor missile, the HEAP provided a fire and forget capability.The projectile would home in on a laser '_Spot_' that was projected from ground observers, other aircrafts, or the launching aircfraft itself.Today, the missile would be guide autonomously through the laser designator in a mastmounted sight.Once the Covera Ar's designator had painted the '_target'_ with a laser beam, the computer would keep that beam center on the target so long as it remain stationary, the HEAP missile would be self directing.

Two HEAP missiles per MS is all its going to take.Now we just have to get into position and wait for those fools to come to their own funeral.So ingross was he in his thoughts that he fail to realized, that the MSs they were tracking were heading on a southeastern course.In the opposite direction a Foundation unit would want to go, if they were a Deikumia special forces unit everyone thought they were, they were staying rather close to the Guild side of the border.


	5. Chapter 4

**Mobile Suit Gundam: Vanguard Blitz**

_**Chapter 4**_

Within the Orka forest, Vicati guided her Grave forward without care, the bazooka resting on its back right shoulder armor hardpoint, clench its right hand, seeking any telltale signs of Neko's Grave amidst the sea of greens and browns of the forest leaves and the tree trunks on her main view screen. _Another fifteen kilometers_, she thought half heartly. _And we'll be home free or at_ _least off this hellhole_.But more important, after three days in those woods, she was begining to feel herself getting ripe, the periodic cleansing in the stream had only delayed the affect, only one thing would cure her of that.

She slowly made her way forward, staying on a course that would lead her to their point of extraction, while keeping her mobile suit at a steady pace of 40 kph, that Athan and Varl could easily catch up with.Navigation system indicated less than a kilometer of forest was left, which meant open terrain and the possibility of detection. Vicati's hand gripped tighter on the twin sticks, double-checking to make certain the safety was off of the bazooka, as she stomped her way forward the last few hundred meters.

The Grave came to a stop at the edge of the final row of trees at her command, mono-eye scanning right to left at the open field. Vicati took her eyes away from the main screen picture to stare at the tactical display screen, not surprising there was nothing. The Foundation side of the country was always heavy with interference, especially across the border.

Vicati saw it before she heard anything. A gray riverlike smoke trail sped across her main screen, and her eyes blinked once in surprise, and instantly followed the grayish smoke until it dissipates into the atmosphere, immediately her focus was where it went, just in time for her to hear the thunderclap of its impact on the external speakers..

" What the...Where in...

What happen next over rode her curiosity at what the projectile had struck more than what had actually fired it. More surprisingly was the helo, she watched through her main screen as a Guild Y-18C Covera Ar flew across it, like something from a nightmare at nearly 200 kph, it's cannons belching flames as it glided over the grassy fields. Then came another identical helo, right behind the first, swooping lower at something in front of them, firing its guided missiles at that something that did not hesitate to return a burst of fire of its own, the tracers zipped above the pair of helios, missing both by several feet.

By this time that something was completely hidden by multiple explosions, dust and flying dirt as the helos dance back and forth over it. Vicati's trained eye evaluated the main camera picture closely, as her Grave took a step forward for a better view. Anyone in that dust cloud would be having a hard time. Even in a well-armored mobile suit.

It took three seconds before those last two words to registered in her mind, and she nearly slapped herself for her stupidity.

" That stupid piece of sht!" She watched on the main screen as Neko's Grave emerge from the dust and fiery cloud on tails of blue flames, moderately damage and trailing smoke and ground debris in its power jump like an exhaust trail of a flying SAM, spark emitting from various locations on its upper and lower torso, but surprisingly very much in the fight.

Vicati's held breathe hissed in relief, even as her eyes narrowed over the main screen picture, watching the pair of silvery colored Covera Ars circle in a loop of death below Neko's airborne mobile suit.

With a kick of dust and burning grass in the midst of it thrusters flaming brightly, Neko's suit landed on the grassy field less than a kilometer from a wall dividing the battle ground from a respectable size town, she remember passing several nights ago, and twisted its torso around in the middle of stagger stepping backwards and sprayed antiaircraft fire from its left shouldered mounted 40mm gatling gun, even as it unsteadily raised its 100mm machinegun in its right hand. In an awkward curve, the targeted Covera Ar avoided the high velocity shells, even as its brother Covera Ar spun behind the suit from above, and unloaded its 40mm rotary cannon on the unstable Grave, the tracers blowing the 40mm gatling gun off its left shoulder armor, as the back mounted ammo box took a dozen rounds and exploded, forcing the unstable mobile suit to the ground in a heap, that kicked up dust and debris.

Vicati swore as she skidded out the safety of the trees, keeping the concrete wall that divided the town from the Latana plains to her front right, as she raised the 310mm bazooka's massive barrel. This was going to be a snap, two helios wee no matched for a pair of mobile suits.The best part was she could score a few extra kills, at the same saving Neko's annoying, but yet stupid ass and still make it to the extraction point in plenty of time. Vicati knew how moral would skyrocket once her gun camera footage became widespread news throughout the LFA forces and she had no intention of disappointing her future viewers. In fact she intended to give them a show to remember for weeks to come.

With a cry of delight, Vicati trigger her bazooka once with the Grave's right hand, to get the helos full attention away from Neko's mobile suit, more than to actually do any real damage, then she stowed it away; with one hand, while unlatching the 100mm machinegun with the other, the nine hundred rounds per minute machinegun was more suited for the fast and nimble helos. The Grave mobile suit fired a short control burst of its backpack and leg mounted thrusters, pressing her against the seat and pushing the suit forward, even as the pair of helos began to unload their autocannons at the downed suit in the distance.

Quick and easy was how Vicati wanted this to be, she had every intention of taking out both helos before Neko became a smoldering corpse.The green and yellow suit fired a burst of its 100mm machinegun a dozen meters outside its computerize firing control systems locked on range, even as the lead Covera Ar nosed vanish behind a sheet of white as its autocannon unleashed there fury.

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" What the hell was that?" a Covera Ar pilot shouted in the midst of releasing the trigger controls. He turned his aircraft violently to the right and increase power. They had been pelting the as yet unidentified mobile suit with a mixture of 20mm and 40mm rounds to keep it off balance, as they prepare a pair of HEAP rockets for point-blank detonation, when a single black object passes over them on tails of gray smoke.

The 310mm bazooka shell burst open with an explosive force several dozen meters away, and released a cloud of reinforce steel pellets over a meter radius, none of the pellets were close enough to reach them, let alone do any real damage, but it did get the full attention of the helo's pilot.

" It's a--" the gunner breathed." Where--?"

The pilot tilted his head and watched incredulously as another identical mobile suit to the one they had been engaging appeared, and any doubts he had ended as it fired its handheld machinegun at them. It missed wide, but the pilot jerked the Covera Ar away to the west , as the second burst of high-velocity tracers destroyed his wingman before the unfortunate pilot could fully comprehend the approaching threat.

The Covera Ar pilot failed to take notice that the down mobile suit had risen to its feet, in the midst of his distraction; and he never would. Neko's Grave, although battered and worst for appearance, twisted its torso slightly, and in the midst of sparks emitting from cracks in its torso area, its 100mm machinegun's barrel elevated and flashed. In a stroke of luck, the second Covera Ar took a hit in its left disk-like hovercraft system, sending the helo out of control, to crash into the ground well outside of Vicati's visual range.

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" Damn it Neko, that was my kill!" hissed the red-haired pilot, an evil smile lit up her face, in the midst of leaning forward as she cut the forward acceleration with help from the Grave's forward facing thrusters, skidding the mobile to a complete stop less than half a kilometer from the other suit.

Neko laughed, an annoying wheeze that she had grown to detest, especially with the static full quality the low-levels of minovsky particles in the surrounding area gave it. But she admitted to herself at least he was alive and well." You've got to be shitting me right? After what those two Guild cockroaches did to my suit. Killing both of them wouldn't have been close to calling it even."

Vicati ignored his rattling, as she walked her suit forward with a forward nudge of its twin control sticks, while keeping Neko's Grave at the very center of her main view screen. It was clear that both helos had given it everything they had and then some, judging by the chunk of armor plating missing on its left shoulder armor, exactly where the gatling gun had been moments earlier, and there were signs of dents and pits in its upper and lower torso armor, no doubt from those 40mm and 20mm shells.Vicati quickly surmised that the LFA mechanics had several weeks worth of work on there hands, before the Grave would come close to resembling its former self.

She continued moving the Grave forward crashing the green grass with the Grave boot-like feet and leaving stomped dirt behind it; she was about a hundred meters from the other suit now. A flick of a switch, and the 100mm machinegun ejected its empty ammo clip, the empty banana shape clip dropping to the ground and crashing to the soil, while the right manipulator arm reached down to snatched one of two full clips from the right side waist armor slot rack and slamming it home. As the ammo indicator reset back to 32 rounds, Vicati grinned and continued moving in, keeping the other suit dead centered on her main screen and the nearby town to her right.

She could hear Neko's muttering over the internal speakers, as she cautiously snapped her main camera up and to her left scanning.There was nothing around for as far as her optics could see at normal magnification.She turned back the main camera to watched what Neko's Grave was doing.For a moment she felt pity for the actual suit itself, it was only a few months old after all and had seen little if any combat until today.For a moment she watched puzzled as Neko's Grave took a sudden step back and raise the 100mm machinegun in her direction, part of her jump when the barrel flash and the machinegun began firing wildly to her back right.Vicati spun the Grave around just in time to see the hideous profile of an attack helio bearing down on them, preceded by two round objects, growing larger by the second and spewing flames.The pair of twin smoke trails sped pass before Vicati could react.She watched through her secondary camera as both anti-tank guided missiles arc downward to connect with Neko's Grave upper torso in a blinding flash.

The Grave mobile suit stagger backwards as it was enveloped by the twin blast. The explosions ripped away valuable armor plates, the white flames seeping through the cracks in its armor plating, burning circuitry as it bore forward relentlessly. The mobile suit topple over, just in time for the internal propellant tanks to crack, releasing its deadly contents to greet the runaway flames. The resulting collisions, erupted the mobile suit into a massive explosion of dust, shrapnel and composite materials, as Neko's Grave dug its own burial ground.

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In the grassy Latana plains, less than eight kilometers away inside the cockpit of the TMS-19B, Kailyn Starken's mouth lay agape in shock, as a column of raising smoke announce the destruction of one of the mobile suits in the distance, swallowing a lump that suddenly appeared in his throat." Bloody krill!" the words came out more of a hiss than any comprehensive language.

He lean forward in the seat, ignoring the brightness the main screen afforded as he manipulated the Gizen (r)'s head right and left in its kneeling position, his eyes shifting between the secondary camera monitors and the main screen picture. He twisted the main camera in the distant, trying to get an idea of what was going on, but even looking at the blurry picture the screen was showing him, he could tell instantly that at least one of those mobile suits in the distance was permanently grounded and the bellowing cloud of black smoke around it's fallen location give fact to that assumption.

" Was that a Deikumia mobile suit, looks like a Gyriq!" Kailyn squinted his light affixed eyes, catching something in the distance." What the krill is...! That's a...

Subconsciously and methodically his left hand release the control stick in its grasp and reached for the communication switch and hopefully an open channel." Behind you." Even before the words escape his lips, his left hand had return to the controls and the mobile suit rose to its feet at his direct command, and it sprinted forward, its footsteps thundering as the speedometer gauge began climbing rapidly, and he had no idea why he was doing something he knew was more than foolish.

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" Behind you!" belched out the speaker into the confine space of the cockpit, snapping Vicati out of her stunned state that her brain had frozen into at the sight of Neko's mobile suit's destruction.

She twisted the torso of the Grave around as much as it would allow, then focus the mono-eye camera around. Her main screen was blurred with the shape of the hovering Covera Ar at the tips of the forest trees. For her, the sight of the helo represented everything she loathed in this life, and taking the life of someone who was not only a fellow Lucanite, but also a team-mate fighting for the seem ideals and goal, didn't help matters.Her eyes remain dazed, ready to draw tears, but the burning sensation that suddenly made them turn red with fury over-rode her tear ducts natural response.

Vicati open and closed her mouth, but not a sound escape as her mind tried to wrapped itself around the loss of a comrade and tearing that practicular helio to pieces with her bare hands.The Grave spun completey around, its main camera never leaving the Covera Ar, Vicati swored inwardly as the 100mm machinegun barrel elevated, took manual aim, and fired a long uncontrollable burst towards the helo that made the suit stagger to control the recoil. Vicati knew the Covera Ar was well outside her targeting range, and she was wasting valuable ammo, but somewhere in the back of her mind she didn't care the slightest.

The Covera Ar dove down and away from the line of tracers of the high caliber rounds and level out meters from touching the soil, and ripple fire its weapons in a continuous sheet of smoke and flames. Half were high-explosive rockets, the other half 40mm rounds.

Three rockets landed in Vicati's former location as she backed the Grave away, while four others fired to high sped into the town behind her, turning one of the home's in there path into rubble as it collapsed in on itself from the HE rockets. The impact of the three HE rockets in front of her shook the ground beneath the Grave's feet and she could hear the _ping ping _of metal fragments bouncing off her armor.

Cursing outwardly, Vicat's mobile suit slidded away from the flying debris that was once lush green grass, now turned into a brown obscenity of bare _Genisis_ and smoke. She activated the thrusters and launched her Grave into a power jump that took her airborne a millisecond before the circling Covera Ar nose and wings spat death. As the HEAP rockets and 20mm high-velocity shells sped beneath the Graves feet, the gunner of the helo ceased fire abruptly and began tracking in on the airborne unit, even as the pilot began a mid-power climb to get within an even altitude of the mobile suit.

She landed as quick and as skillfully as she could and sidestepped to the right, opening fire on the Covera Ar with the reminder of her 32 round banana clip. The helo pilot climbed above the tracers path before a single round could grace its armored skin, and Vicati watched the shells leave a trail of dirt as they dug into the ground in frustration; she had to give the helo's pilot some credit, because not many pilots had the guts to battle it out with a mobile suit, not when as a single unit there chances was slim to none. Ejecting the machinegun's empty clip in mid-evasive maneuvers, the Grave slam her last clip into the waiting weapon and squeeze the trigger thrice.

As the Grave slidded around, creating a furrow within the dirt, a fast moving object spewing flames caught her attention , a single HE rocket struck the upper torso where the armor was much thicker, before she could evade.In an instant the mobile suit vanished behind a wall of smoke and fire.The Grave stagger back under the force of the explosion, its left hand's manipulator index finger accidently depressing the trigger, triggering a short burst of the 100mm machinegun rounds upward.

" Shit," Vicati hadn't expected a single Covera Ar to be this tough, her Grave had nearly been knocked off its feet, but luckily the rocket was small, and her skill as a pilot and the Grave's stabilizers kept it on its feet.Her eyes flickered over the status diagram on the left Head's Up Display ( HUD), while her heart went into overdrive, she was satisfied that the torso was only partially damage, but there was no time to do a full system check.There was only one real danger,Vicati immediately sidestepped to the right, watching as two rockets that suddenly filled her main screen flew pass.

With her eyes locked on the main screen picture, Vicati fired a short burst and watched stupefied as the rounds raked the ground behind the helo's position.In a split second she regain her composure." Sonofabitch." Wanting to put as much distance between herself and the helo as possible, to rethink her strategy, the Grave backed itself into the dust cloud created by the two rockets and out the other side.The proximity warning alarm suddenly went off, and she stopped in midstride and spun the Grave around to see a gray and green mobile suit she didn't recognized approaching from the distance, and moving rapidly forward." What the hell is that. A new model."

" Shit", Vicati cursed, "a helo and a mobile suit.Not happening" The Grave spun around to face the helo, infrared sensors tracking it through the immense cloud of dust and smoke and launched itself forward, 100mm machinegun elevating.The Guild helo jerked to the left and began climbing higher and away from the mobile suit, its tri-barrel 40mm gatling cannon bursting into fire as it sprayed 1800 rpm wildly and blindly about to keep the suit at bay.Vicati could swear the Covera Ar cringed as it desperately tried to escape.She level her machinegun and cut loose at full burn, even as the helo turned around and began to jink, using the trees as cover against the incoming rounds.

The hail of 100mm rounds stitched a path through the trees that offered little protection for the helo like a pack of wolves on the tails of there prey, the shells smothered the helo unrelentlessly.In a blinding flash of flames, the Covera Ar vanish into a rain of fire, its burning wreckage dropped into the forest, setting the trees ablaze.

Vicati barely took notice as her thumb depress an enable switch, releasing the empty 100mm machinegun from her left hand, leaving it to crash to the ground, while the right hand snapped back and unlatched the 310mmm bazooka.The Grave skidded to a full stop and spun around while resting the bazooka stoke on the right shoulder armor.Quickly and nervously Vicati centered her sights on the new mobile suit and armed the bazooka.

The new model skidded to a stop less than six hundred meters away.Vicati's eye momentarily flashed over the small monitor that held the record of every type of mobile weapons the LFA were aware of, not surprisingly it came up blank.As an after thought she flipped her intercept radar.Her IFF system scanned the target for a possible friendly, and that to came up blank.That was enough.What ever kind of new suit this was, no one in the LFA had ever come across it.Or at least lived to report about it.

Her target was agreebly still as she depress the trigger once.The bazooka's stoke puff gray smoke and the 310mm shell spat forth from the muzzle to bore into the new suit's torso area, thus turning it into scrap metal.The new suit made no effort to move, Vicati lips formed into a victorious smile, thinking the pilot was scared shitless.The bazooka shell closed the distance in less than two seconds, aiming to split the new model into pieces.

The mobile suit's left armed, holding an oval shape shield reached over its torso and caught the 310mm shell in mid-air, shield swing outward sending the bazooka shell flying to the ground before its arming cycle could complete.Vicati felt her eyes popping out of there sockets in disbelief as the shell hit the ground and exploded harmlessly."No fucking way."

The new suit dropped its shield to it side, and the right hand reached down to its waist, pulling out the hilt of a heat sword.Vicati realized that this pilot wanted a close range battle, which meant it had no range weapons or simply had no intention of using them.The heat sword flashed to life, but did not glow white hot like a Lupus heat sword, the suit took a single step forward, forcing Vicati to take one back. She had no intention of fighting close range, but with only three shell remaining in her bazooka, she knew that option would be her only choice if she missed her next shot.

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The Guild attack helicopter pilot slowly eased his aircraft into position.With a little luck, their targets will be just over the trees to their left front.They were lucky to have made it this far so quickly.The lead helicopter had barely avoided a mid-air collision with another Y-18D Covera Ki on there mad dash in. Although the pilot was confident that he could have avoided it easy enough.

The four Covera Kis station themselves on either side of an ancient keep, behind some trees that they regulary used as a rally point and for reference.If the half baked reports were correct, when they popped over the trees, there would be a town to there front right and a group of mobile suits north of it.When the pilot of the lead Covera Ki signal that he was set, the attack helicopters began to slowly raised until the weapons operators field of vision was clear.Unlike the Y-18C Covera Ars, the Covera Ki's pilot was seated behind and a little higher than the weapons operator, because of this, he saw the town first, once he had the town with signs of smoke in his sight, he began to search nearby for the enemy mobile suits.He couldn't see them.He ordered the weapons operator to search the area with his powerful sights.

As the weapons operator was searching, something caught the eyes of the pilot.There was movement to the northwest of the town.He turned and looked.Several clouds of black smoke was visible.Over the intercom, he informed the weapons operator of his sighting and turned the hovercraft until it was facing almost due east.The weapons operator had no trouble finding his targets.He quickly identified them as one TMS-19B and an unknown type of mobile suit.The pilot reported this to the commander who asked if there were any Covera Ars in the area, while he to shifted his orientation to the east and found the targets.The pilot ignored the request for the Covera Ars for a moment.

Like great cats preparing to pounce on their prey, the four Guild Y-18D attack heilcopters studied their target for a moment.The pilot checked his radar warning device to ensure it was functioning and had not detected any enemy search radars before reporting back to his commander.The pilot and weapons operator then continued to track their target, which was well out of range of there weapons, they had to wait for there leader's orders before moving and could only seeth in anger as it seem that the army robot would get the kill they both yearn for.

The orders came.Both helicopters would swoop down on the unknown mobile suit at high speed.The commander and his wingman would go to the left flank, and the second pair of Y-18Ds would attack from the right.They were not concerned with the TMS-19B, it was a friendly unit after all.Yelling an old battle cry from an ancient novel over the radio, the commander signal the start of the attack.

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As Kailyn brought the heat sword in a guard stance and prepared to attack, the cockpit suddenly began screeching an all to familiar sound and he turn his attention towards the source of his new headache. He didn't see the helios immediately, he switched his gazed back to the mobile suit, he had no intention of being caught off guard by a bazooka shell, and watched as the mobile suit's thruster backpack spewed out blue flames and then leapt back.It was only when the suit fired a snap shot in the distance towards a quartet of helios, that it down on him that this mobile suit was an enemy of the Guild.Kailyn turn around to his right just in time to see the lead helio bearing down on the unknown type of mobile suit, fired a pair of large missiles spewing flames.The impact of the HEAP missiles on the ground several dozen meters away from him, force him to react.

Retaliating for that bazooka shell would have to wait for now.He wanted to deal with these new helios first.

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The attack helicopter pilot was surprise at the speed with which the mobile suit reacted.Almost as soon as they closed the distance within range of there missiles, the mobile suit leapt back and fired first in mid-air directly at his aircraft ruining his first shot, the shell exploded harmlessly half a kilometer away.The mobile suit landed deftly and fired again.This shell pass wide right and was totally off target._Still'_ it was disconcerning to watch the black object zip pass him.His wingman was already firing the Covera Ki's 40mm cannon.He had to fight his natural instincts to break off and instead concentrate of closing in on his target.

The mobile suit landed again and did not move.The pilot quickly oriented in on this and ordered his weapons operator to engage.Then he launched a single anti-tank guided missile, for several tense moments, the attention of both the pilot and weapons operator was on the mobile suit as the pilot held the aircraft on course and the weapons operator held his sight on the target.The missile linked to the weapons operator's intergrated helmet's sight guidance system by a thin piece of gold laced optical wired, received course corrections, homing in on the mobile suit.Only after the missile impacted on the mobile suit did the pilot jerked his joysticks to the right and fly south.He wasn't about to try for second shot on this pass.One hit was enough for now, hopefully it was enough, if not then that new mobile suit everyone was so hush hush about would deal the finishing blow.

As the pilot brought the Covera Ki around, a fast moving object caught his attention.He looked across to see the TMS-19B Gizen (r) bearing down on them from the air to his left.The weapon operator saw it too, and began to lay his cannon on the closing friendly unit.But before the weapons operator could decide whether to fire or not, the pilot jerked his joysticks to the right in order to evade, ruining the weapons operator target lock.The mobile suit was quick to announce its intention.

The pilot felt his aircraft shudder, then saw the weapons operator in front of him disappeared in a series of small explosions as the Gizen's 25mm gatling gun shells ripped into the Y-18D.The attack helo canopy was riddle and the cockpit was filled with smoke.The pilot struggles to control his craft but couldn't.The Covera Ki disappeared in a great ball of fire upon impact with the ground.

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Vicati's Grave struggle to its feet where it had fallen from the missile's impact with difficulty.As her suit slowly rised, she notice the right arm was badly damage but still operational, but she was more concern with why was she was still alive.Four helos and a mobile suit, shouldn't have taken this long to take out her downed Grave, unless of course they wanted her as a POW, that was not going to happen, she knew full well what the Guild soldiers did to female prisoners.It took several seconds to calm down enough to catch her breathe and look around.To her left, burnt the wreckage of a helio.Beyond that she could see another burning helio.To her right, a hundred meters further out was a third burning helio.That she didn't see a fourth helio never occur to her.What did occur to her was someone had just snatch her from the jaws of death.

Satisfied she was alive and kicking, Vicati spun the Grave around and watched through her main screen as the new mobile suit stitched a line of tracers across a Covera Ki's fuseliage.The Y-18D spun in mid-air as it crashed into the trees and dropped like a stone, fifty feet to the ground.The main hovering disk systems came apart, sending pieces in all direction.

Her eyes watched in shocked and amazement as the new suit glide down slowly using its powerful thrusters to settle itself on the grass." Is it friend or foe?" She glance at her last bazooka shell and then up towards the forest trees, searching for any telltale signs of Athan or Varl's Grave units, and silently hoping they would suddenly appear, and shifted back to the new suit, deciding it was best to make contact rather than fight a losing battle, she open up a broad-spectrum radio channel." Identify yourself."

Vicati held her breathe for a response, she was good with a bazooka at five thousand meters, good enough to score three kills with three shots and be name the Bazooka Maiden, but those had been against tanks, not a fast moving mobile suit, and as long as it held that shield, one shot wasn't going to be enough, especially now that she knew that shield disguise a gatling gun.

Rather than reply, the brown and gray suit withdrew its heat sword, as its thrusters kicked on, rocketing upwards and arcing in mid-air, the suit raise its heat sword above its head and came flying down towards her.Vicati activated her own thrusters, blasting her suit back and away from the sword strike area.The mobile suit's heat sword sliced air particles, then righted itself, using its shield to cover its torso and sprinted forward almost as soon as its feet touched the ground.

' _Shit, that thing's fast,"_ Vicati muttered half heartly as her mobile suit wheel backwards, stumbling a bit from its reverse, recticle went red over the advancing moble suit and she fired, sending her last shell towards the suit, who sidestepped the rocket with such ease that it made a Lupus X look slow doing it.

But the split second sidestep was more than enough delay time for the left hand of her Grave to snatch the heat rapier and drew it out, barely raising it in time to parry the heat sword.Sparks flew into the air, as the heat weapons met and seperated.She immediately slashed at the suit as her own recover from the shaking, then tried going in with a thrust, managing to hit nothing as the suit darted around it to come at her left.She chopped at the suit to keep it back, but it snapped its shield between them and the heat rapier caught on its metal surface, the new suit twisted its heat sword downward and followed through with an upwards slash, neatly cutting the Grave's right arm off by the elbow assembly, along with her 310mm bazooka, even as the sound of thunder reached her ears.

Vicati drew back with her heat rapier with a shriek of fright, snapping it across her torso as a shield, fully aware now that her Grave was clearly outmatched.' _What kind of suit is this.A Flight or terrian model.Its like a Lupos, mixed with a Lupus S-type."_

" That was for first bazooka round."

The voice sounded harsh with a hint of an accent she couldn't immediately place, but knew she had heard it from somewhere before, but the slow growing thunder in her ears was effecting her thoughts.Vicati swore.' _What's keeping Athan and Varl, I can't take this suit alone_.

" And this," whispered the pilot over the open comm, as the mobile suit began to advance, twisting the heat sword with its wrist as it began moving forward.The proximity warning alarm suddenly went off, and both suit looked up to see the huge form of a Guild AT-31 gunship flying at tree top level, scorching them with its multiple rocket engines.The mobile suits reacted quickly and blasted themselves back and away from the gunship's path. As the huge 80 foot wingspan aircraft, cruised between them, its cannons spitting tracers from every location on its body. Seconds later two Graves burst from the burning forest, running forward and picking up speed now that they were in open terrain.

Skidding to a stop, she noticed Athan's Grave raised its 100mm machinegun and fired a barrage into the air ahead of it.The tracers smacking across the gunship's underbelly armor, and doing little damage.The gunship blew pass Vicati's position and began swinging its mammoth form around for another pass, vulcan cannons belching fire continously, even as a flight of three Laspers came screeming overhead.

" This is not happening." Vicati hoped Athan wouldn't waste ammo on those fighters.With only a machinegun, he stood a very little chance of hitting a fast-moving jets. The only thing he would accomplish by firing would be to wasting valuable ammo and making them cannon fodder for that gunship.

The new Guild looking suit had no hesitation about engaging, however.Vicati watched shell shocked as the edge of the oval tip shield vanish behind a mass of flames as it fired what she had positively identified as a gatling gun. The lines of tracers veered upward in an angle to connect with the first Lasper, the thinly armored fighter disintegrate into a flying fireball.The second jet kicked in his after burners, climbed higher, but kept flying south, a fatal mistake. The gatling shield belched fire once again at the fast climbing aircraft, she felt an awe of satisfaction pass through her body as the Lasper's left winged exploded at nine hundred meters altitude in front of her, its pilot never knew what hit him, an instantly tried to regain control as the aircraft dropped like a paper plane trailing a tail of black smoke.

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For a moment there was shocked paused in any action, as Athan and Varl watched it continued forward towards the town, a dead bird whose wing had been clip. The fighter swept in low and dropped, rolling into the buildings. No ejection seat was spotted. Athan didn't know what to do. In less than six seconds, both Graves had recovered and sprinted forward and away from the forest, they both knew what was behind them, the fact that there was a wierd looking Guild suit ahead of them didn't matter, but yet the main camera still remain locked on the town as the ensuing explosion that followed, consumed several of the houses in the fighter's crash area.

' _Don't think about, its just an unfortunate accident that goes with a battle_," Athan whispered to himself.

" They're here," Varl screamed into the speakers.

Athan stopped the Grave and spun around, and was greeted by the image of two Lupus X in a line emerging from the woods, they had just left, on his main screen.Athan screeched, not bothering to secure the transmission." Mobile suits! Varl snap shot as fast as you can."

Realizing they were in deep shit, Varl swore over the open transmission and jerked his Grave around, sighted a target with the mono-eye laser range finder, watched for a return, and fired.At a range of less than three hundred meters, there was scant chance of evading his shot, the hypervelocity, armor-piercing, fin-stabilized round ripped through the Lupus X almost as soon as the barrel flashed, the mobile suit double over and exploded.Seeing the effect of his first round, Varl switched to engage the next Lupus X.

Athan however, pulling up next to Varl's Grave with his own, got a piece of it first.Unlike Varl, Athan fired the remaining armor-piercing and high explosives 100mm machinegun rounds, riddling the mobile suit until the clip emptied.But still, it remain standing completely defiant, returning fire towards the Graves position.This contest did not last long.In return, the TMS-17K recieved a APFSDS round in its torso, that went screaming out the backpack without pause.The Lupus X took two seconds to crumble to the ground bellowing a thick column of gray smoke.

The smiles of victory was short, as the AT-31 black shadow caught their attention as it brought its vulcan cannons and miniguns to bear, turrets blazing away at anything that move.The gunship's crew were very pissed at the attack on there convoy and was showing their hatred, they were wasting most of there ammo on the ground as they tracked in on the mobile suits.

The afternoon air suddely erupted into an ear splitting blast of gunfire, that forced Athan to reduce volume on the external speakers, before looking around.It was the Guild looking suit.Its shield gatling gun fired an endles stream upwards, blanketing the sky with deadly shells design for heavy-armored opponents.The gunship was shredded by the murderous fire, cut into pieces and burning long before the gatling gun run out of ammo, as Athan saw its barrel rotating continuosly with nothing coming out, but it had been more than enough to bring the gunship to the ground.

The fight was over for now, at least Athan thought.The Guild had just suffered a serious defeat today, and hopefully the news would spread like a disease and rally anti-Guild fighters to take up arms.'_ Yea right, we got lucky this time,_ he thought as he watched the massive craft burst into flames.Athan checked the surrounding area and knew immediately that Neko was a casaulty, but considering what they were up against, that was an acceptable loss. He checked his 100mm machinegun, it was out of ammo and nothing more than a piece of useless metal.Varl's Grave walked beside him.

" How much ammo you have left,"

" That was my last shell, my cannon's empty. Only thing's left is my 100mm machinegun," came the reply." What do we do with that suit over there.Its got to be a new Guild unit, what I'm trying to figure out is, why did it fire on those Guild units."

Athan turn his Grave around to see the Grave belonging to Private First Class Vicati Elywarm running ackwardly towards them with one arm, the other holding the heat rapier to its side, although it was cold now.To her back right, the new suit was standing still, X-shape faceplate locked in there direction, mono-eye dead in its center." What happen out here."

Vicati stumped up to them before replying." Neko got ambush by a pair of Coveras, I tried to help, but there was a third. We lost him.I think that pilot tried to warn me, but I'm not so sure. I mean its confusing sir, it save my life when a couple of Covera Kis showed up and destroyed them all, but at the same time it did attack me. Sonofabitch took off my arm"

Athan winced at the mention of the Covera Kis, they were slightly more dangerous than the Covera Ars in terms of armament and armor.More than a few LFA pilot had lost there lives to Covera Kis over the years." Did you attack it first."

Vicati went silent, an Athan assume he was correct in that regards.Vicati was well known for jumping the gun on more than one occassion.

" Shouldn't we be getting out of here, there's a team of mobile suit less five minutes behind us after all." informed Varl.

" We can't, we'll be leading them straight to Home Base and you know how vulnerable she is.We can't take that risk.' Athan shifted his optics back to the forest." We either take out those suits or we don't leave at all.What ever we decide, has to be quick, cause they'll be on us in a minute."

" Say what!! yelled Varl." With what, one machinegun and two heat rapiers and a one arm mobile suit.We wouldn't last a minute."

" It doesn't matter how we do it, but we have to do it.Weapons or no weapons.There are over a hundred people on Home Base and only three of us, want to risk their lives as well as ours.Look, I know these mobile suits are invaluable to the LFA, but we can't risk several dozen lives just to save our own hides.

The speaker spark to life." **Why don't you take the down Lupus X weapons, ur hand sensors is programme to handle them, aren't."**

All three Graves turned simulthaneously towards the new suit, its mono-eye's turret was snapping to and fro inside the X, it to must have heard the voice, Athan had presume was his.

" **Your ERS-06Bs were design to handle Guild weaponary in such an emergency and you don't** **have much time to decide.As for you Kessaro, you should have gotten familiar with that** **Gizen controls by now, so your skills will increase their survival, for now consider to be your allies."**

If Athan was shocked at the transmission at first, the fact that this unknown person not only knew the code number of the Graves, but that the Graves could also used Guild weaponary, was equally disturbing.That information was highly classified and known only to few mobile suit commanders and the people at the very top of the LFA chain of command, even he had not known about it, not until an hour after he was chosen for this operation." Who the fuck are you."

The pilot of the unknown type of Guild mobile suit appeared equally as shocked." What the Krill," swored the pilot, mobile suit twisting right and left, mono-eye scanning each and every direction." **I should have known, Aragon. Don't you have more important things to do than stick your nose where it don't belong**.**And I** **don't need allies, I fight alone**."

**"So you fight alone, well here they come, now show me ur power young Kessaro or is it Noire Knight.Show me why they put so much faith in you."**

Athan lower lip tremble, not at the sight of the four Lupus Bs and Lupus S that suddenly began emerging from the forest single file, but at the mention of the word Kessaro and Noires Knight." _Does he mean like a Kessaruvian, the first people to colonize Genesis over a four hundred years ago, they vanish like a hundred years ago.And Noire Knight, no way, he can't mean those Kalorian Specs Ops Unit, they all perished when Ratheon was destroyed a year ago_.

The pilot of the Guild looking mobile suit began yelling in fury." **Shout the hell up you oxygen deprive drunk, as for these guys, they should have stayed in Guild territory." **

The mobile suit's code name now identified as Gizen ejected the gatling gun from the shield, its right hand holding a glowing heat sword, tossed it to the left and catching it with no trouble, and then the right arm went to its back and came out with a handheld heavy machinegun, that Athan notice was slightly different than what the TMS-17 series had been carrying carried around for years.

Athan watched with a mixture of amazement and shocked as the Gizen sprinted forward, pushed by the thrusters on its backpack and binders, blewing passed them, heading directly towards the collection of mobile suits that were only know leaving the forest, leapt into the air as the two frontal mobile suits fire a hail of tracers and then down towards the suit themselves, landing within a dozen meters in front of them with ease.Snapping its right hand forward with the heavy machinegun beside the shield, while the shield cover its torso against the hail of tracers.Its new weapon cut loose at what would be consider point blank range, there was scant chance of a miss. Lines of tracers riddle the lead pair of Lupus Bs with destruction.While the machinegun tore the mobile suits apart, the second pair of Lupus Bs, tried flanking from the right, with the Lupus S-type painted in a different color scheme of gray and black tried flanking from the left. The Gizen power jump into the air and over the short burst of fire from the two new Lupus Bs, even as the first pair of Lupuses collaspe to the ground in a heap, and landed behind the pair of Lupus B's before the pilots could react, slashing both across the legs above the knee joints in the first stroke with the heat sword and followed up with slashed across their backs as both suits dropped to there knees without any legs to keep them upright.But it was not done yet, the machinegun snapped across and fired once, blowing the left arm assembly off the Lupus S as it sprayed traces in return, striking it allies across there torso armor, before rocking back.The Gizen's gun shifted and fired again, this short aim at the cockpit and that was the end for that pilot. The Gizen never move from is position, but simply twisted its heat sword point down and plunge it through the Lupus B's cockpit that had collapse in front of it, that was still clawing for its heavy machinegun, the blade effortlessly sinking into the cockpit, while the right hand reached across with the heavy machinegun and emptied its remaining rounds into the other suit.The suit sparked and twitch for a few seconds, and then remain unmoving like the rest of it comrads.

The Gizen stood upright, unmoving for a few moments, it kicked on its thrusters and skidded across the field to stop where it had dropped its gatling gun, picked it, its mono-eye snapping on them for a moment before it took flight on a course heading east without so much as a peep.Athan could only watched speechless, his mouth suddenly dry.' _Who the fuck was that guy, he just wipe out a team of BPG in less than a minute without so much a scratch, and that Lupus S-type, that was a Syber Elite unit._

Finding his voice after a full minute of stunn silence." Vicati, Varl.Not a word, Lets get to the extraction point, we have a ride to catch." The three mobile suits spun on there heels and began moving south, not sure of what just happened or even if it did actually happen.

But neither pilots were in a talking mood to discuss it.

l

" We're in Deikumia territory, Colonel," said the voice of Tracker One in through the desk mounted speakers as Nevano Tional leaned heavily over the young Comm.Officer inside his underground command post, well outside the Orka forest. The staff officers on duty we're ignoring their tasks to listen in on what was going on with keen interest." Its like a small war took place here, sir. There's nothing but burnt military hardware, mostly ours.No sign of survivors or any operational mobile suits in the vicinity."

"The hell they escape!" swore Tional into the transmitter, his saliva rain on the unlucky blonde, who wince in surprise, but kept her cool." What about the status of the 3rd, what about Major Guile, Lieutenant."

After a moments hesitation, Tracker One spoke again." He's dead sir, along with the entire 3rd team.Looks like they stumble into an ambush. Colonel, we've located one destroyed mobile suit of unknown type. Unfortunately it's badly damage. For the moment, we're following a trail heading south.But its been over two hours sir, they could be anywhere within a five hundred kilometers radius. I recommend an air search, sir.

" Its being dealt with," Tional, shifted his gazes towards the operations officer and nod his head, the young man sprinted towards a second comm.station." Any hopes of getting information from the unknown mobile suit."

" Unfortunately not, Colonel. The mobile suit was completely destroyed. It's hard to tell at this point, but it got hit pretty hard."

" Very well. I'll send the First team to reinforce immediately. I'll need the Second team to remain in position at the moment. Have them set up a perimeter. Your teams to continue tracking the enemy suits. They have to be found and destroyed." His orders on that was very clear. Those mobile suits were a threat and must be dealt with.

" As you say, Colonel. And please get me some air support, so we can track them quicker, sir."

Nevano Tional backed away from the comm. station and away from the communications officer. His entire air asset and a MBPG team gone, just like that, for the price of a single enemy mobile suit. This was bad, and this old soldier knew it all to well.The only good news was that Major Guile had join the casaulty list, he had never liked that pampous Syber Elite adjuntant. The Colonel went to his operations officer.

" Suava and Senna has cancel all flights in and out for the time being, Colonel, and they're refusing to send any of there aircrafts until they've... evaluated the situation. But we do have a flight of Cirrus in hanger nine, there old, but they'll do the job we need them to do.

The Colonel thought about that one. The SC-03 Cirrus was more than old, it was ancient by today's standard, but he couldn't wait until Suava or Senna open there airfields and then approve of his request. Who knows how long that will take? Word of this breached into his assign sector had no doubt reached the ears of the National Security Committee by now, his flash report to General Gulisnita had gotten him permssion to cross into Deikumia, but that permission had taken nearly ninety minutes, which meant the General was already taking measures to cover his own ass, and to much time had pass already, but still he had to find those interlopers somehow." Yes, Get them ready ASAP, I want them airborne conducting a wide range search pattern for those suits immediately."

" They haven't been used or maintain in a very long time, but give me a couple hours sir and they'll be ready to fly."

" In a couple of hours, those mobile suits could be anywhere.Assign every available personal to get those aircrafts airborne within the hour." he turned to Major Suran Quito." I want a team of the best engineers we have, accompany the First team and began securing what remains of that unknown mobile suit. I want to know who they are, where they came from and who built that thing within the next six hours. That was a far more complexed operation for those Deikum special forces to carry than what they are capable of in their current military conditions."

" You think it was someone else, sir."

Tional blue eyes dropped on the younger officer, with such intensity that the younger man lowered his gazed to the marble tile floor in a noticeable shiver of fear." I know this, not only did our last confirm position put them moving south, instead of northeast, but this is to far away from any operational Deikumia base.Add that to the reports of the Deikumia Foundation's only special operation units capable of doing this, those so call Elite Red Dragon Division, had been wipe out at Gulvanize, those Foundation troops could not have pull this off."

Despite his fears, mixed with confusion, Quito yelled to recover himself." I'll see to it immediately." He turn around, and leapt out the small room faster than a hundred meter runner could possibly do.

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The captain looked over the port side of his ship from the bridge wing. Young crewman directed the last one arm mobile suit onto the aft elevator, and then backed away. The elevator dropped twenty meters into the hull. _SeaGazer'_s first officer supervised the loading process from the winch-control station aft, communicating by a headset to the other men scattered about afterpart of the ship. The elevator matched levels with the flat surface deck, and the access door closed shut, hiding the vast cargo deck from the outside world. Crewmen strung cables onto the two waiting mobile suits and bolted them rapidly into place, as technicians, engineers and mechanic from the island nation of Kazan began pouring over the suits to gather combat data.

As soon as the last mobile suit was over its painted X mark, the watertight door closed and lights came on to allow the crew to secure the war machines firmly into place.Neatly done, the first officer thought. The whole loading process had taken fifteen minutes per mobile, almost a record. He supervise the process of securing the after-portion of the ship for sea.

" The last mobile suit will be fully secure in five minutes," the bosun reported to the first officer, who forward it to the bridge.

Captain Herovich switched buttons on his phone to talk to the engineering spaces." You will be ready to answer bells in five minutes."

" Very well five minutes," The engineer hung up.

On the bridge, the captain turned to his most ripe passenger, a commander of a mobile suit team, now wearing the blue jacket of a ship's officer." How is your team?"

" We lost Neko, other than that," Athan whispered, his eye remain distant, staring into the endless blue.

" A hot meal is already being prepared. Just take a hot bath, a change of clothing and I'll join you later to discuss what exactly happen."

Captain Herovich was nearly fifty, and more than two-thirds of his life had been spent at sea. Athan watched the ship's captain as he raced from one side of the bridge to the other with a junior officer in tow, often giving rudder orders as he passed.

" Rudder! he called" Ahead slow."

The helmsmen accomplished the command's in under two seconds; Athan saw.' _Not bad_,' he thought, remembering the slow response time the man had displayed almost a week ago. The captain rejoined him.

" Ah, that's the easiest part behind us."

" You think we'll have unwelcome guest," Athan question.

"I'd like to prepare for such an outcome." The captain walked over to the chart." _Great:what_ _should have been a simple recon mission, has now turned to a run for survival, good thing the trade routes isn't that far from here and even the Guild wouldn't take this freighter for_ _anything but a freighter_. He could relax, just a bit. The captain walked over to his bridge chair and settle in '"**_ tea._**'

A steward appeared at once with a tray of cups.

" There's no orange juice left?" Athan was surprised.

" Not unless you brought some, Commander. Such things rarely last longer than a few days."

" That's true enough," The first officer joined." All aft secure. The 'special' sea detail is set. Lookouts posted. The deck inspection is under way."

" I'm more concern with damage control," the captain said.

" That concerns you?"

" Of course. We stand in danger, Commander. I would like my men properly prepared for all eventuality, more importantly this ship's defense."

Athan hadn't thought about that. This mission had been thrown together to quickly for his liking, without a proper chance to receive proper ship training or shipboard duties.Security considerations. Well, no operation was ever fully planned, was it?" I'll have our mobile suits rearmed for antiair defence as soon as you're ready." He paused." What sort of damage can this ship take and still survive."

" This is not a warship, Commander," Herovich smiled cryptically." However, you should have noted, this freighter has double steel walls, with a meter of space between them, which may even be better than compartmentalization on warships. With luck, we won't have to find out. Fire is what worries me the most. The majority of ships lost in battle die from fire."

Athan nodded thoughtfully." My team will be ready whenever you wish."

" As soon as we clear the Bank in a day, we'll be into the LaGrange Ocean." The captain got up and checked the chart again." We'll have to head southeast for a few hours, and then turn northeast, which should add twelve hours to our journey, seems the Guild has a Carrier battle group less than three hundred kilometers northeast of us. And here I was hoping for a pleasure cruise on our return trip."

Athan sipped his tea." An entire carrier battle group, they're not wasting time. Sorry but that, couldn't be help. We saw an opportunity and we took it.Believe me, once you see the gun camera footages you'll be glad we did."

" My XO is already on it, I hope its not disappointing commander!" Captain Herovich sipped his cup also, wishing for a glass of vodka to clear his trouble conscience. He was ready. The only question was wore they all ready for what he was sure was soon to come.


	6. Chapter 5

**Mobile Suit Gundam: Vanguard Blitz**

**Chapter 5**

Pausing just short of the crest next to a tree, General Malik T.Velaz knelt on one knee, leaned against the tree, and began to pull the hood of his desert yellow camouflage parka up over his helmet.As he fiddle with the drawstrings of the desert yellow parka, Velaz scanned the crest of the hill to his front.Beyond it was the _**Deikumia Foundation**_ border.While one would assume that Velaz's head would be filled with concerns and thoughts about the current ongoings in _**Deikumia**_, and the upcoming operation, it was not.Rather the founder of the _**Lucan Freedom Alliance**_ and commander of the 1st Erin Sol Brigade was at that moment feeling a twinge of guilt about insisting on being issued the desert yellow parka.After all, the odds of him, the commander of an entire maneuver brigade with two tanks, two mobile suits and two mechanized battalions, needing to use the desert yellow garment to hide from the enemy was remote; even if he was the most wanted man in Lucan; with a bounty on his head so high that he never stayed in the same location for more than a few days at a time. As he had told the brigade XO when he was first given the parka." If it comes to a point where this is the only thing that is protecting me, then someone has really screwed up, big time." Dispite his own given orders that only infantrymen and scouts serving in the operation in_ Deikumia_ was to be given the scarce article, the brigade commander had muttered and connived once he had actually seen the parka for the first time until he had obtained the coveted desert yellow parka; Being the brigade CO also helped matters.Now that he was actually using the camouflage properties of the parka during his personal reconnaissance of the **_Deikumia_ **_Foundations_ border that another of his Companies would be rushing through in less than an hour, Velaz could justify having it.Of course those that knew him well knew that he enjoyed having the " neat" things, and no amount of justification could hide that. Still Velaz's staff felt no misgiving about indulging their commander.He was in their eyes worth it.

Malik T.Velaz, at age fifty-two, was a complex man who had the ability to deceive those who met him with an easy going manner.Physically he was equally unpretentious.A casual observer standing on the street corner of any heavily patrol Lucan city would never pick Malik T.Velaz out of a crowd as the commander of an entire military brigade.His five foot, eleven inch body and medium build would be classified as average.The 185 pounds he carried about was well distributed, although there was a hint of a spreading waist when he wasn't wearing baggy fatigues or oversized parka like today.Even if the observer were to look at Velaz face from a distance, there wouldn't be any detail similarity between his younger face that was plastered on hundreds of torn wanted posters and his current facial appearance, other than the fact that he wore his hair shorter than the average Lucanite male and his face still failed to betrayed the fifty-plus years his body had clocked.Even the facial expression that would have betrayed his personality and emotions was carefully hidden from view.The only external feature that differentiated Malik T.Velaz from another middle-aged Lucanite male was his eyes.His eyes betrayed Malik T.Velaz.

Like many veterans who had seen war and knew that they had not seen their last, his eyes were often fixed in a sad faraway gaze.Only those rare occasions when he allowed his mind to wonder, the sadness in his eyes would deepen and glaze over with moisture as his mind's eyes passed before him again and again a parade of faces and horrors of wars past.It was these memories and Velaz's determination to ensure that the parade didn't grow any longer that give him the drive that made him a successful strategic commander.And it was the sad realization that regardless of what he did, regardless of how successful he was, the parade would grow.For Malik T.Velaz knew that the one cruel hard fact that endured through the ages was that war meant killing and not all killing was done by your side.It was this sad truth that give Malik T.Velaz the one external characteristic that marked him as something different, something special.So Velaz, like so many other commanders in the past, stuffed his personal thoughts and emotions into a dark corner of his mind and revealed to his friends, subordinates and superiors only what they expected.

The sound of footsteps behind him caused Velaz to turned as he absentmindedly finished tying his hood's draw strings.It did not surprised him that it was Lugano Errot the brigade's operations officer making his way up the hill to join him. Further down the slope Velaz could see the road leading into _Deikumia_ and watched as a captured TMS-17B Lupus B with a single 210mm cannon on its left shoulder and a 76mm heavy machinegun clench in its right hand trample by. " Lugano, this is taking to long.This is taking much to damn long."

Errot watched two more Lupus Bs equiped with the same armament as there brethren walked by without responding as Velaz continued his one sided conversation." We have to much shit going to Deikumia.This is suppose to be a simple stratagem, like we discuss, not a full blown engagement. The units in Jalen Company looks like they're making a permanent move into Deikumia."

Velaz paused to watched an ammo carrier for the FIST team that had pass by moments ago trundle on by." We, Lugano, damn, its to late to do anything about it now.Make a note, will you, get ahold of Delta Company and Jalan Company Ops officers and have them gave you a list of exactly what they took along.Its obvious that the commanders in those Companies don't understand the meaning of essential vechicles only."

Like a tennis match of ancient times, as soon as the ammo carrier passed and the next mobile suit team came closer, both Velaz and Errot snapped to watched their passing.With nothing better to do at the moment, and needing to escape the cramped confines of their own mobile suits; Velaz and Errot had left those suits, including their escorts down the slope to watched as the elements of Jalan Company began their move.Watching columns of military vechicles marched by, Lugano had once thought, was sort of like watching television.It was repetitive and required no thinking, a mindless diversion that was therapeutic, the perfect way, he had found a long time ago, for a commander to gave his mind a rest while appearing to be doing something and showing his face.Everyone, even the notorious Malik T.Velaz needed a break, even if it was but a short one.Like Velaz, Errot had stood on the side of the road watching vechicles of every description and size go by while allowing his brain to simply drift about and rest.Velaz's comments, his first in almost five minutes, were followed by a couple more minutes of silence as his brain drifted free again.

Velaz was busy watching the first of a long line of modified MTR armoured personal carriers began to roll by when Lugano Errot heard the rapid approached of footsteps and snapping twigs behind him.Turning, he saw the captain of _Jalen Company_, captain Jalen Myko, a slip of paper in his hand that Errot assumed to be a message form, headed for them.Why the CO of an entire company of mechanized troops was bringing it to them himself never once crossed his mind." Looks like a dispatched from the field, sir."

It took Velaz a moment to catch on, first looking over at Errot, then at the approaching company commander." Hmm.Must be an update from Alpha Company about the fight at the Vesti River.Seems like the Guild aren't wasting any time re-deploying their forces to cover their bare asses."

" Won't do 'em any good, General.Not with Phollia on the prowl."

The arrival of the company commander cut off Errot's retort.Momentarily out of breath and excited, the company commander looked at Velaz, then glanced at Errot.Errot nodded for him to go ahead and report directly to the General. Velaz, feeling good, returned the captain's salute and quipped." Captain Myko, what news from the new guard down at the Vesti River?"

The captain shooked his head as he reached out to offer Velaz the small slip of paper." No updates from Alpha Company after their report that they had defeated the rear guard detachment.This report is from the Marine Corps headquartes at _**Fork Point**_, sir.They just recieve a report from an asset code-name Lowrunner.Evidently the Guild carrier battle group that left Val Caras Harbour seven days ago has been identified as the Buchus battle group of the Northern fleet.According to this report, the Buchus battle group is currently attacking _**Kalaro Isles**_.The Marines has advised all units not involved in Operation _Hell Strike_ to commence of monitering the situation.

Velaz had said nothing.He had expected this.He had suspected that something like this would happen. He constantly reminded his commanders and staff that things never go exactly the way they were planned, which, according to his admonishments, was why commanders were always needed to be forward and staff officers thinking. In the back of his mind, Velaz had been waiting for the _Guild_ to drop the other shoe and reveal the next phase in its plans for weeks now.That it came in the form it did was a shock that he nor Errot had contemplated.

Errot, taken aback by the captain's announcement as much as Velax, responded first.Folding his arms across his chest and looking down at the ground, Errot grimaced." Great, just great.Kalaro's Isles is one of our major financial supporters, not to mention, if it weren't for them and Ratheon Institute, half our mobile suit pilots wouldn't have gotten the training they've had, or we'd never have completed the ERS series a year in advanced, things couldn't possible get any worst for us." Looking up at the captain, he asked if there was anything else.

" No, sir.We asked for additional information, but the marines at Fork Point gave us a wait-out. I don't think they have a good idea on what's happening over there as yet." Then as an after thought he added." Captain Inos Vesquez has already given orders for all units assign to Delta Company to prepare for immediate combat deployemnt the moment they arrive at their designated area of operation.

Velaz reached out and put his hand on the captain's shoulder ( the younger man, knees nearly buckle beneath him at that moment)." Well inform Captain Vesquez to proceed with the atmost haste but with extreme caution, that goes for you as well captain.

After a hasty salute, the captain turned and trotted off back to his command post carrier.

For several seconds, Errot watched Velaz in silence.Velaz was thinking, mentally absorbing the latest development and considering what actions, if any, he needed to take. Finally Errot spoke." General, should we considering having Charlie Company on standby in case Alpha and Delta Company need help to unass the Guild in a hurry and withdraw."

Velaz thought about Errot's question as he turned and looked at the last line of ammo and fuel truck carriers moving south." We're already using two of our best Companies to carry out an operation that has a thirty-five percent chance of success, a third company to provide support and if neccessary aid in there withdrawal," he mumble." We're using to much of our limited resources on this operation already." Then he looked at Errot." If that carrier battle group is hitting Kalaro Isles as was reported, we'll feel the effects soon enough, but until then, we'll just wait and see what's happening on our end before we get all excited and start making unnecessary alteration to the operation, lets go.We have our own operation to commence and Tera Cias base is a long way from here."

He nodded to Errot and made his way down to where his instrument of destruction knelt, antenna pointing proudly above its head, camouflaged like every suit in the LFA's arsenal with one exception, the GTS-04C _Gyrig Custom_ rosed from its position to its full height of 15.2 meters minus the antenna, bearing the symbol of the LFA, the Grey Hawk of Lucan, wings generating a twister around a Blue Sphere of the Guild nation on its left breast plate, only LFA commanders with a rank of Major or higher bore this insignia.Scrapping the G5 380mm bazooka that was the primary weapon of the standard Gyriq, this version carried two TMG-20/R1 76mm heavy machine. A 310mm bazooka and a heat rapier were stored on its waist armor.

" Let's...began Velaz before he took notice of a blinking red light warning him of an incoming communication, he glance at the very high frequency that was a good source of information, but also a source of a mind splitting headache.He consider ignoring it for a moment and let the little bugger wait it out, but after a minute of forebidding and self consolation he toggles the switch to RECEIVE, shivering for a moment in anticipation." What do you want Aragon. Unless you have some vital information for me, I don't have the time for ur antics today." He wished his voice had sounded alot tougher than it did.

The slow constant humming that was on the other end stopped suddenly. Velaz waited silently for two minutes, before becoming silently worried that he had insulted the person that had save the lives of his men and his own during the battle of Gictor during the Lucan campaigne and had supplied him with a constant source of information over the last six years, information that was impossible to come-by.

" I'm sure by now your aware of the going ons at Kalaro Isles, but lack any real definitive information, well let me enlighten you. So far the Buchus battle group has only acquire and maintain aerial supremacy," spoke Argon, for once getting straight to the point of his communication.

Velaz grimaced. " Ground troops."

" Surprisingly no ground troops, although the battle group is carrying one mechanized air rifle company and an entire MAU with it,' replied Aragon. A Marine Amphibious Unit consisted of a reinforce battalion of mechanized troops." Add that to the four flights of CT-30Cs that hasn't move off of three of Senna Air Force base's airstripes in the last two days, things may not look good for Kalaro Isles in the next few days."

" Can Kalaro handle that," Velaz asked, leaning forward to within an inch of the main screen, but not seeing it altogether.

" With a carrier backing them up with nonstop air support!" Aragon snorted." Beside's targeting radar, communication, anti-aircraft and SAM installations, they haven't done anything out of the ordinary. I think it has something to do with the Northern Fleet still being anchored at Val Caras, once they began to move, well you can guess what happens next."

Velaz slumped in his seat." So we don't have as much time as we thought.How long before the Northern fleet begans to move?"

" A day, two at the most.Kalaro Isles will fall, that much is certain, and when it does the air threat against the Foundation will at least double, same story goes for your forces on Foundation soil and at Tera Cias.Well I did bring some good news, that recon unit you sent into Guild through the Latana plain did get in a moderate hit in on the Guild before they retreated, enough of a hit to hold off reinforcements and supplies to the main force gathering at Gulvanized base for several hours."

" Bloody hell, that was stupid of the mobile suit team CO," Velaz said." Did they manage to escape."

" Surprising yes, of course they did have help in regards to that, but they're a man down, and their survival won't be assured for another couple of hours. What happens in the next few days will determine the outcome of this war."

Velaz grind his teeth slowly." Its to late to change our plans, everythings already in place and moving ahead as plan.There's nothing I can about Kalaro Isles or a single mobile suit team out of my reach, as it stands they're on their own."

Most of his message went unheard, as Aragon had already broken contact, but Velaz let the last sentence slip out nonetheless.He snapped the main camera picture to his escort; four Graves and Errot's Lupus S.

Velaz dial over to the unit frequency." Lets's move it. Single file formation, Delta B pattern. 2nd squad on point, 4th squad at six.You know the drill, no comm until we reach within Tera Cias defences.We have one hundred and forty klicks to travel and not enough time to cover it. Let's move out."

The last of Jalan's Company's modified MTR carriers were entering the border of _Deikumia_ as the sun was descending west, when the mixbag of LFA mobile suits began their slow trek northward.

A young crewman speaker had announce sunset an hour before, which meant all hands below deck, lookouts at there post and deck inspection underway, but Vicati would not be denied this last chance for a scenery of untold beauty, even if it was only for a moment.Sunsets at sea far away from the polluted city air, with a sharp horizon for the sun to slide under was a sight for her of such beauty that she found herself truly enjoying.What she saw now was just as good as the first time she had experienced a sunset at sea.She stood with her hands on the rails, first looking downed at the foamed alongside the freighter's sleek hull, then after a brief moment of preparation, up.Born and raised in Lucan, and then with the Guild sudden occupation, Vicati hadn't known or cared about stars until coming abroad the_** SeaGazer**_, and now the discovery of the wide, bright belt of stars overhead was a constant source of wonder for her.

A hatch open, and Varl, all dress in a olive tactical pants and black shirt joined her on deck." Darken ship, what the hell does that mean." Varl said irrated, he was clearly annoyed about something and she knew exactly what.

" No lights and absolutley no smoking," Vicati said sharply, slightly annoyed to have her precious solitude destroyed.

" Crap," A previous lit cigartte butt sailed over the side.Varl was silent for several moments, then he looked at Vicati." How you holding up?"

Vicati snorted quietly." I'm fine.Neko's the one that wasn't so lucky.If he'd waited like he should have instead of running off to safety, he'd still be alive and we'd have one extra mobile suit in our unit."

" He was a little rash, but it doesn't matter, no matter how many times you revise the situation, it won't change a thing about what happened." Varl voiced sounded tired.' _No wonder_, Vicati thought, he's been overlooking the repairs and re-arming of our mobile suits ever since we came on board.Anything to keep busy.' The elder pilot pointed to the northern sky." In just over a day from now we'll pass close to Kazan territorial waters and drop off those tech guys and all that combat data they've accumulated from our Graves, a few hours after we should be in Fork Point in the midst of a bunch of fucking marines."

" Marines," Vicati sat down and leaned back, her head leaning way back to watch the curtain of white dots.Beneath them the ship's hull churned the water to foam with the whispering sound of continously breaking wave.Somehow the sound and the sky matched each other perfectly." Well, atleast we get to teach the Guild a lesson inside their own border and get a look at their new suit in action.That suit, that was unbelievable."

" No doubt about that, I've seen the gun camera footage twice and what those techies came up with from analyzing its movements and weapons. Its better than those Lupus X by far and way ahead of those Lupos.That's bad news for us and the Foundation."

Vicati stared up at the various un-name constellation.Some enterprising crewman trying to get more than on her good side, had told her the center of the galaxy was out there, including their real home word, some planet call Earth.He'd even went so far as to say there was a black hole out there preventing other humans from finding this planet. A black hole, the most destructive force known to physics, and it made the forces under man's control appear puny by comparison.But men were a lot easier to destroyed.

Suddenly the ship wide intercom belched loudly." Attention all hands, this is the Captain speaking.Our WAR-2 and WAR -8 reports inbound signal contact, possible fighter search radar, approximate range thirty-eight miles, bearing two-three-zero and closing, speed five hundred knots." Vicati and Varl shared a glance in the growing darkness.They both knew the WAR-2 and WAR-8 systems aboard the _**SeaGazer**_ were passive detection systems- they did not require the use of radar to pick up an enemy presence.

The captain was still speaking."All hands, action stations, all hands, action station, this is not a drill.All mobile suit pilots, report to your units immediately."

" Damn, here I was thinking we'd gotten away scout free," Varl muttered making a break for the hatch with Vicati hot on his tail.

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" Well lookie what we've got here," the SC-03 pilot said quietly." This has got to be that freighter the Colonel told us about." RIO, what esle is in range."

" Nothing, not another surface ship for over a hundred miles."

" Well the last two freighters were legit.Lets make sure this one's too before we get trigger happy and sink this bastard," the pilot was frustrated, after over an hour of searching, only two freighters had been tracked and both had the necessary IFF codes to confirm their authenticity, this last freighter had to be the one they were looking for, it was their last hope, he didn't have the fuel to search for another.

He pulled the commit trigger on his stick grip to the first detent and instantly the usual symbology on the HUD was replaced by the infrared video.

There was the freighter! They were almost on top of it, looking straight down at it.There was a bunch of people on deck, seemingly doing a bit of nothing,' the pilot heart sunk.Even as he looked, the freighter was changing aspect as the turret under the plane's nose swung to keep the ship in view.Now the freighter appeared upside down, as if the plane was diving over it.

The radar altimeter warning sounded, indicating they had dropped below the 450 feet he had programme.The pilot's eyes flicked to the gyro.Inadvertently he had ease the nose over.He released the stick button and pull the nose back to the artificial as it replace the IR video on the HUD.

" Looks like another legit freighter to me," the RIO chirped in the back." This was a dumb fucking idea, the Colonel had to know these are the main shipping lanes.If those fuckers took a freighter its going to be near impossible to find out which."

" I agree, this was a waste of time, I'm going to contact them," the pilot began reaching for the communication switch.

" We did that twice with those two freighters, and both give us the same bullshit story we couldn't prove, about making a cargo run we have no way to confirm," the RIO said frustrated, stopping the pilot's index finger within an inch of the switch.

" Well if you have a better idea, let me know," the pilot yelled back.

The radar intercept officer thought for a second and silently grin." Lets troll, make a mad pass, drop a flare and see what they do.If they're legit, they'll try to make contact with us and if they're not."

_' If they're not, they'll probably shoot us down,'_ the pilot thought, he had no illusions about his ability to swim to land or if the parachute even work, but he had to admit inwardly it was a brilliant plan.He toggled the stick-trigger and glanced at the IR display, remembering to cross-check the gyro and the flight instruments as he did.He was perspiring profusely.This was hairy, dangerous flying, add that to the fact that the aircraft he was flying was older than his military career.Any mistake, he knew would be fatal.

The pilot put the plane in a climb while the RIO reset the armament panel to release one flare.Dropping flares wasn't going to solve the Colonel problems, but it was a start.

When all was ready, the pilot carefully descended again and circle the freighter at 600 feet, about four miles away.He knew he was far enough away that he was invisible to the men on the boat.

" You ready?" the pilot asked the RIO.

" Fuck no, but go ahead anyway!"

The pilot turned on the exterior lights.He cranked on a four-G turned and pointed the plane nose at the freighter.The radar altimeter warning sounded.He didn't have time to reset it.

Down they came, 400 feet, 300, the throttles forward against the stops.He level at 230 feet, two miles from the freighter.He squeezed the commit trigger as far as it would go, authorizing the computer to release the flare The flare was gone.

A few seconds later a brilliant light illuminated aft and below them." Shit, flares burning," the pilot yelled as he dropped the nose and left wing and began a descending spiral turn.Someone aboard the freighter panicked by the sight of the ghastly white light of the magnesium flare and fired a belt fed 14.4 millimeter machinegun.

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" Idiot?" Captain Herovich growled.The tracers from the machinegun didn't even come close to the bright light that he knew was a flare.It had been a worthwhile gamble on the part of the pilot and it had paid off." Now they'll shoot at us for sure.

"All ahead flank speed! Mobile suits on deck, shoot that plane down, Helmsman, be alert."

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" Sonofabitch." the pilot rolled hard right and flipped off the lights with his left hand.He kept the nose coming up and turning in.A moment later a line of tracers weaved, trying to connect.It was of a much larger calibre and far more accurate than what he had seen pass meters under the flare.

The shells reached for them, crossing just under the plane.The pilot was rolling and jinking, turning hard to get away from the freighter and the guns.

The gunners was shooting bursts of five and six shells. '_ God, they're close_.'

The pilot kept climbing as the streaks crossed above the cockpit.As the end of a tracer string went by he hauled the stick forward and floated under negative G.

The RIO was screeching in the back." They're shooting at us, they're actually fucking shooting at us." His voice had gone up an octave.

Now they were up into the safety of the clouds, which glowed from the flare below.

The pilot kept climbing." What did you expect them to do, blow kisses at us."

In a calmer more excited voice, the RIO added." Well, I think we just found the bastards."

" Sounds about right," the pilot said, turning back towards the freighter." Time to blow this sucker out the water.In the mean time start relying the message back to the colonel that we've found them.And don't forget Cirrus Two and Cirrus Three they should be close by.Try and raise em."

" Take care of that freighter and I'll handle the message."

" Good," the pilot swore as he dropped below the cloud, and the infrared instantly showed him the freighter, five miles away and riding the waves at full speed in front of him.The pilot centered his gunsights pipper on the freighter." What the fuck-damn! I got a red light on the portside ASM-10.Sucker won't arm."

" Message is out.Cirrus Two and Three will be here in four minutes.Well play with the bastard," the RIO yelled.It didn't work.In the haste to get off the ground, the missiles controls had not been fully attached by the weary ground crew.

" I still got one working.Ready!"

" Well shoot the sucker already!!"

The missile dropped clear of the wing and fell thirty feet before its engine ignited.The SeaGazer's large deck was lined with men, many holding hand-launched SAMs and two mobile suits hoping to intercept the incoming radar guided missile.

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" Rocket coming, low on the horizon, portside,"_ At least we have good lookouts_, the captain thought.He estimated the distance to the horizon, and give the missile a speed of a thousand kilometers per hour.

" Right hard rudder!" he screamed.The helmsman threw the wheel over as far as it would go and held it down, as Athan burst into the bridge, out of breathe and eyes popping out there sockets in fear.

" There's no way you can outrun a misssile, captain," Athan said gasping for air.

" I'm aware of this.Why aren't you in your mobile suit and on deck defending this ship like the rest of your team."

The black-hulled vessel was turning radically to starboard.As she did so, the ship's heeled in the opposite direction, the same way a car rolls away from a turn on a flat road, which artificially raised the waterline on the vulnerable portside.

" There's barely enough room for two mobile suits on deck, let alone three," Athan answered.

Several crewman aboard fired signal flares, hoping to decoy the missile away, but all the missile's mircochip brain cared about was the enormous blip that occupied the center of its radar seeker head.It noted that the ship's heading was changing slightly, and altered its own course accordingly.Half a mile from target it armed its warhead.The crewman aboard the SeaGazer instantly fired an even dozen SAMs.

Three locked on the ASM-10 engine exhaust plume, but were unable to turn rapidly enough to hit the incoming missile and continued past it.The SAM were joined by a gun that sounded like a chainsaw, but the radical turn of the** SeaGazer** reduce its owner's line of sight and the crewman's barrage of flares and SAMs simply blinded the Grave's optic from identifying which was the ASM-10 and which were SAMs.

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" All right..." the pilot whispered.There was no stopping it now.

The missile struck the SeaGazer hull six feet above the waterline, slightly abaft the bridge.The warhead exploded at once, but the missile body kept moving forward, spreading two hundred pounds of jet fuel that fireballed into the cargo deck.Two crewman, thrown off their feet by the impact, accidently triggered their SAMs straight up.

" Its a hit. We got warhead detonation.Looks like..." The pilot eyes was strained at the IR display to assess the damaged.

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" Rudder amidships!" the captain had expected to be knocked off his feet, but the missle was a small one, and SeaGazer still had two thousand tons of mass.He ran out to the bridge wing to survey the damage.As the ship returned to an even keel, the ragged hole in her side rose ten feet from the lapping waves.Smoke poured from the hole.There was fire aboard, but the ship should not flood from the blow, the captain judged.There was only one danger, the captain rapidly gave orders to his damage-control teams.

The **SeaGazer **emerge at twenty knots from the smoke, a fifteen-foot hole in the ship's side.Smoke poured from the opening, but the pilot knew at once that the damage would not be fatal.He could see several crewman on the upper deck, some of them already rushing towards the ladders to fight the fire below.

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" Where the fuck's Cirrus Two and Cirrus Three?" the pilot asked.The radar intercept officer didn't answer.He switched radio circuits.

" Cirrus-One, this is Cirrus-Three, we got you on radar, preparing to release our missiles, and follow up with a pass of twenty-mike-mike.We can do two or three passes, then we gotta bail for home, do you copy."

" That's a roge, Cirrus Three.Target has a pair of mobile suits on deck. And watch out for handheld SAMs, I've seen em fire about fifteen of the bastards."

" Roger that Cirrus One."

" First rounds of drinks are on me once we sink this tin can and head home."

" Roger, copy, keep clear we're releasing our missiles now."

The Cirrus pilot continued to orbit three miles out.Her pilot didn't see the fighters until a quartet of smoke trails appeared in the distance.The two Cirruses were a few feet apart, perhaps twenty feet over the water and losing speed rapidly when compare to the four missiles moving ahead of them.

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Oblivious to the incoming threatsVicati and Varl both watched from their main screen picture as the single Guild fighter circle around the SeaGazer well out of range of their gatling gun's targeting sensors.

" He can't stay out here all day," muttered Vicati." He's got to be low on fuel, we just have to hang on for a few minutes."

"Maybe he doesn't have too, he's probably already made contacts with the rest of his sqaudron and is vectoring them in on our position while we speak."

" Shit, that means we can have..." Just then, Vicati noticed the four blips on her radar monitor closing, and alarm sounded within her." We've got incoming, five o'clock."

Without confirming or wasting a moment, both mobile suits turned as much as the small space on the deck of the ship would allowed to face the incoming supersonic rockets.From the left shoulder universal hardpoint, both Graves 40mm gatling guns whine with a metallic sound.A sheer wall made-up of hundreds of 40mm HE shells met the lead ASM-10 missile head-on, ripping it into a thousand pieces of fragmented sharpnels and propellant.

The next ASM-10 approached the freighter's bow and was blasted out of the sky by Varl's gatling guns, too close aboard.Fragments ripped across the freighter's deck, killing a dozen exposed crewman ( who were still trying to subdue the fire).

The third and forth missiles came aft.Both mobile suits tracked the rear ASM-10s, destroying it in ablaze of glory before its brethren vanish from their optical cameras.The missile hit a second later. A rolling boom! causing Vicati to jump in her suit as her Grave's gyro stabilizers straggle to maintain the suit's balance, but she didn't fail to see two slower, but yet fast moving objects form a blurry shape on her IR screen." Shit, fighters."

No one else saw them come.A moment later, the water around the_** SeaGazer**_ side turned to froth from the short falling rounds, then her main deck was hidden with sparks.A sudden small orange fireball announced the explosion of a handheld SAM, burning jet fuel and shrapnels whipped over bridge, narrowly missing Athan and the captain.

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" What was that," the captain gasped.

" More fighters.Must have come in low, following their missiles path.Its not over yet.

The fighters split, passing left and right of the ship, which continued at twenty knots in a wide circle.No SAMs or tracers followed the Cirruses away, and both turned, re-formed, and closed in on the_ **SeaGazer'**s_ bow.The target was the superstructure.A moment later the freighter's bridge was peppered with several hundred rounds.Evey window was blown away, and most of the bridge crew killed, but the ship's watertight intergrity hadn't been damage a whit.

l

But the fighters didn't escape unscathed this round.With the imaged of the fighters centered on Vicati Grave's main camera screen, she flipped the missile enable switch, which automatically fired a radio interrogation signal at the fighters.A friendly plane would have responded to the radio signal--both did not.

" Clear to shoot! Vicati shouted as an after thought, she took one quick glanced at her secondary cameras and swore at the human remains littered on deck and fired all three ' Closer' missiles.The missiles disappeared from visual range and into the darkness...but far out on the horizon, she say a bright flash of light and a stream of fire--that was a hit.

But there was no celebrating this victory.She knew there were at least two more fast moving jets out there, and word had already reached them, about a Guild carrier battle group just a few hundred miles away carrying ten times as many fighters, that could easily and quickly send the** _SeaGazer_** to the bottom of the** _Lagrange Ocean_**.Her little counterattack merely brought them a few precious minutes, perhaps even an hour.But as long as they were on this ship, they were sitting ducks.

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The Captain surveyed the damage.His helmsman had been blown apart by a half dozen exploding bullets and every man present on the bridge was dead.It took a second for him to overcome the shock and noticed a crippling pain in his abdomen, his dark jacket darkening further with blood.

" You've been hit, Captain." Only Athan had had the instinct to duck behind something solid.He look at the eight mutilated bodies in the pilothouse and suddenly the inside the protective composite armor of his mobile suit looked like a very safe place to be.

" I must get this ship to the nearest port.Go aft.Tell the first officer to continue fighting the fire.You Lieutenant, must supervise the defence of this ship topside.We must get my ship to port at all cost, the information we've obtain about that new mobile suit must get to Kazan."

" I'll do that, but first I'll get you some help," Athan ran out the door a holding a portable radio as the captain went to the wheel." Vicati, Varl, can you hear me?"

" We copy LT.Those bastards were already on us by the time we picked them up on radar, Vicati manage to bag one of the suckers, but there's atleast two more out there," Varl said.

" The crew on the bridge's dead, the captains hurt bad, so what ever you do, keep those fuckers away from this ship, you reading me."

" You got it LT."

_'Shit.This is turning into a fucking nightmare,_' Athan thought as he recklessly run forward.

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" Look's like the fires under control," the RIO commented sourly.

" Yea, how do you think they manage that? Shit, that tin can should've gone up like--but it didn't" As the pilot watched, the huge mobile suits shifted position, widing their arc of defence far more than their previously position, but that didn't matter, now that he knew they carried missiles as well as a highly-accurate rapid fire cannon, he had no intentions of getting any closer.

" If you want to head for home, we got thirty minutes of fuel," RIO adviced.

" The Colonels not going to like this one bit," the pilot muttered, already dreading his return trip." Get a full recording of that ship and those mobile suits, and just who the fuck are these guys anyway."

" Info on the ship's on the computer system, what the..," the RIO stuttered, "The ship's classified as a Vescuz class freighter, its registered to the nation of Kazan."

" Kazan. Ain't that a bitch, maybe the colonel won't be so pissed off we didn't sink this sucker after all.Okay, lets join Cirrus-Three and head home."

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" The fires are out, by God!" Athan proclaimed." There's alot of damage to your equipments, mainly from water, but the fires are out!" His expression changed when he saw the captain.

The Captain was ghostly pale.The onboard medic had quickly bandage his wound, but there had to be internal bleeding.He struggled to hold himself erect over the chart table.

" Come to three-two-nine."

A junior crewman barely old enough to shave was on the wheel." Right to three-two-nine, captain."

" You have to lay down captain," Athan said softly.

" I must get my ship and crew to a safe harbour first,"

The_** SeaGazer**_ ran almost due northwest, westerly wind and sea on her beam, and water was lapping at the missiles wound.His earlier optimism was fading.Some seems in the lower hull had sprung from the missile impact, and water was entering the ship from the second missile impact, though so far the pumps were keeping up with it.There was over one thousand tons of cargo that would never make it to Kazan.

" And where exactly is that captain, we're a full day from Kazan at the most, get medical attention first, then we can decide where to go for repairs," Athan persisted.

" Repairs you say, this ship is finish, those Guild fighter no doubt was able to identify this ship, it can never return to Kazan, as to where we'll find a safe harbour that's easy.I've already made contact with the port authorities of the country of Kalaro, I've informed them about our situation and who we are.They seem to be having some troubles of their own, but we can enter their **_BolZie_** harbour safely.In the main time tell your people to stay alert.One more successful attack could finish us off and then informed them, that they have done well and I am proud to have sail with them on this operation, and would glady do it again."

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The attack on Phollia's position west of the _**Vesti River**_ was slow to develop, reflecting the Guild Battalion's surprised that a large enemy force had been able to deployed so close to _**Anmen**_ without detection, his uncertainty of the precise location and composition of that force, and his standing orders.

While the loss of his entire advanced rear guard detachment of five tanks before they could provide him with any detail information was regrettable, at least the initial garble report of their platoon leader gave him something to work with.The report that they were being hit by long range tank and mobile suit fire, and subsequent reports from a recon unit that arrived moments later, confirmed that the engagment had taken place two thousand meters east of the bridge.Base on the information he had at hand, he assumed he was facing a flank screen by a mobile unit.That would account for the speed with which those Deikumians had arrived at their positions and the presence of mobile suits.But for the life of him, he could not find out where they had come from, were they a misplaced unit.If so, a deliberate attack, he decided, rather than a hasty one, would therefore be more effective, since a series of progressively larger attacks would allow the Deikumians to grind up his combat power a little at a time.One full-blooded and coordinated attack, with all the combat power he could bring to bear, would not only scatter the screening force, it would leave his forces in the proper formation for further attacks if need be east towards **_Vodina_**.

There was, of course, the problem of crossing the river.Destruction of the highway bridges complicated his mission.As the Guild battalion assemble north of Anmen, its commander and his staff pondered their options at the junction where a highway turned west toward the Vesti.As a large number of frightened refugees struggled to get around, past, or through the mobile suits, tanks and personal carriers of the battalion, the Battalion commander realized that only two real choices existed.He could either move his forces to the north and cross another site or conduct an assault crossing southeast of _**Anmen**_.

His choices of options, however, was limited due to his literal translation of his Brigade Commander's standing orders. If, those orders had stated, an attack originated at the Brigades rear, he was to deploy his Battalion from their positions at _**Quize**_ to _**Anmen**_.From there he was to cross the Vesti via the highway and railroad bridge, which the orders would assumed would be intact.Once assemble on the west side of Vesti, the _Guild Mechanized Rifle Battalion_ was to attack north along the highway, into the flanks of the attacking enemy force, using Vodina as their objective.Unable to contact the commander of the 137th Rear Guard Brigade, the Guild Battalion commander felt he had little choice but to carry out his standing orders to the letter.Every unit on the front lines depended on the success of his operations.Besides, as one of his staff officers commented during their discussion, the number of refugees was multiplying by the hour, which run the risk of saboteurs and spies.It was, the staff officer pointed out, unwise to turn around and countermarch back through _Anmen_ to a crossing east.Seeing as that his battalion was already 80 percent assemble east of Vesti and ready to strike north, the battalion commander decided to follow through, trusting his luck and the skill of his soldiers, which he greatfully admitted to himself were all battle harden already.

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Although Phollia's _**Alpha Company**_ were the only unit in a position to face the brunt of the Guild counterattack, that did not mean she and her company had been abandone, Captain Inos Vesquez CO of _**Delta Company**_ began to concentrate those assets available to the company that were not directly involved with the current operations at the Vesti River.The first asset turned south in support was an JA-12B Blindspotter, a tactical communications intercept, direction-finding, and minovsky dispersion system mounted in a modified MTR-personal carrier.It was used to search for and locate signals from radios in a non-minovsky particle laced invironment, and Vesquez, working through the Company's intelligence officer, prioritized the task of the Blindspotter to finding and locating the command element of the Guild MRB he knew was somewhere in the area and then the fire direction center of its supporting artillery company, which he knew would not be to far behind.Since the Guild battalion was no doubt on the move already it would have to used the radio to coordinate its subordinate units, Major Telia Sterlon, the company's officer responsible for gathering, analyzing, and producing intelligence on enemy activities and strength, felt that they would have no problem locating either of their designated targets once contact was made with Phollia's unit.

In addition to the Blindspotter, Vesquez checked with the Company's fire support coordination officer, or FSCO, also the CO of the fire in-support team (FIST), to ensure that they were ready to provide counterbattery fires as well as defensive fires and to double the FIST ability to provide a sustain amount of fire on the Guild's positions once located, he'd allocated the FIST from Jalen Company into Delta Company.An artilleryman Major Alvador Latinni, known as Big L, never missed an apportunity to promote his fellow red legs.Taking Vesquez over to his map board inside the Company forward CP, Latinni briefed him on the deployment and preparations of both FIST teams now supporting Alpha Company.Four units, he pointed out, which was deployed south of Anmen, was in place and prepared to fire in support of Phollia.To counter enemy artillery, the four TMS-17B Lupus B from Jalen Company were deployed and oriented southeast.When Latinni was finally finish, Vesquez looked at Latinni in the eye." L, I would like to ask one thing."

A smile lit across Latinni's face.Sure, Captain.What is it?"

" Is artillery ready."

l

Less than seven miles away, the efforts of Vesquez and Delta Company were, at that moment, completely unknown to Captain Icina Phollia and Alpha Company.After having parked their suits and MTR ammo carrier in the lee of a stone barn, or what was left of it, the crew of the MTR settle in to watch and wait.Perched high in the cockpit hatch of her mobile suit, their was little for Phollia to do but to watch and wait.Across the river in the darkness, she could see very little.The cold, pale moon, hanging low in the sky behind their positions, was turning everything gray and creating deep, dark shadows.She could hear, however, what she couldn't see from deep in those shadows, the sounds of tracked vechicles winding their way slowly and laboriously along the forest trails drifted across the river.The crisp, cold night air seemed to magnify those sounds, making it difficult to accurately judge the precise location or size of the approaching enemy, what concern her, was no matter how hard she listen, she could neither hear or feel the ground vibrate under the weight of several multi-ton mobile suit units advancing forward, not one.With nothing to do but wait until the Guild show themselves, Phollia could only wait, watch and calculate.At the moment, she had the feeling that her company had been deployed on its own to capture the far side of the moon.

The rest of her team shared her foreboding.After a night of furious activity and no sleep the lull and silence left each member to deal with his or her own fears, apprehensions, and natural desires to drift to sleep as best they could.Misha, peering at the infrared screen, slowly traversed the mono-eye turret as he searched the treelines across the river for the enemy.Here and there he could see indications of vechicles concentrations as the exhaust from those vechicles heated the trees they sat next to.The sap in those trees, heated by the vechicles' exhaust, spread that heat throughtout the trees.As a result, some trees were warmer than those trees which were not near any vehicles.Misha's thermal screen picked up this temperature difference and provided him with a good idea of where the enemy were.With a map in his lap, he kept himself occupied by trying to correlate his sightnings through the infrared screen with their location on the map.Every few minutes, when he had some substantial change, he pull out his handheld two-way radio and contact Phollia.After a few seconds Phollia would make contact, Misha would inform her of what he had.Making a mental note, Phollia would acknowledge his efforts, then return to her position on the open cockpit hatch from which she would study the areas Misha had reported, but her mind was miles away from what her eyes were seeing at that moment.

Both Specialist Louis Zakan the driver, and Specilist Guy Elvano the radioman were less vigilant.Not that there was much for them to do.Though Phollia should have had one of them out on the ground to provide security, she didn't want to scatter her crew or exposed them to the artillery barrage she expected to precede the Guild attack.When it came, Phollia wanted to be able to move and move fast.People wondering about in the dark in the middle of an artillery barrage would handicap her just when she would need them the most.Beside's, Phollia stated, she had Mitsuba's team running point.Mitsuba's security measures, which of course weren't the best, at least provided her team with some degree of early warning.So Zakan and Louis stayed put in their assigned positions, drifting in and out of fitful periods of sleep.

l

Five hundred meters away, inside the dark confines of her mobile suit, Second Lieutenant Mitsuba had no trouble staying awake.There was, of course, the incident earlier that evening that had given her the scare of her life.Every time she thought about it, she felt anger, frighten and worst of all embarrassment over that fact that she had not only been asleep during her first engagement with the enemy in Deikumia soil, but she had fumble the most basic of all leadership requirements, timely and accurate reporting.The consequences of that incident were immediate and embarrassing.The visit by Alpha Company Commander, during which time she had recieved a not so subtle lecture on what a mobile suit team leader/ any team leader was expected to do in a combat situation, was bad enough. That Mitsuba had expected.Even the relocating of the company commander's own Grave closer to her position was not totally unexpected.Though it showed to her subordinates that she lacked confidence in Mitsuba's abilities to report to her in a timely and accurate manner, Mitsuba could have dealt with that slight too.

What really bothered Mitsuba, though, was the fact that she had failed in front of a foreigner, and another woman at that.As a professional officer, such thoughts weren't suppose to even enter into the equations.She was, after all an LFA soldier, an officer at that, serving the organization that had a single objective, free Lucan from the Guild grasp.

So it was no surprise that while Icina Phollia was busy pointing out to Mitsuba that she needed to do a better job of reporting the next time, her words were blocked out by Mitsuba's own thoughts.Over and over in her mind, as she sat there listening to Phollia, Mitsuba kept telling herself that she didn't need to be taking this shit from a damn foreigner, who had no idea what it meant to be a Lucanite, how it felt to be a second class citizen in your own country, how it felt to watch your country get stripped naked of its resources.Even after Phollia left, Mitsuba found herself unable to concentrate on the matter at hand. Instead of maintaining the presence of mind that would be needed to deal with the coming fight.Mitsuba instead went over and over in her mind the earlier engagement, ending each review by mumbling to herself the same question." Who," she quietly asked herself." does that bitch think she is?"

With her mind occupied with thoughts that ranged from self pity to anger Mitsuba was too busy to noticed that the yellow low-charge indicator light on her control panel had lit up.


	7. Chapter 6

**Mobile Suit Gundam: Vanguard Blitz**

**Chapter 7**

Colonel Nevano Tional spent twenty minutes briefing and reviewing the data his engineers had prepared for him; on what little they had learnt about the enemy new mobile suit, and the information the Cirruses pilots had brought back with them from their sortie in front of General Ronivich Gulisnita via direct video communication feed from his office desktop monitor.The 11th Guards Defense Brigade Commander-in Chief listened without a word as he sipped something from a two-stared mug. He'd been angry at being awoken at one in the morning and Tional knew Gulisnita's mind would be clouded by sleep; something he himself had been unable to do, and would need a few seconds longer to comprehend what he had to tell.Therefore, when Tional spoke.He did it slow and deliberately as if he was speaking to a child; but with respect, his briefing, along with the viewing of the Cirruses gun camera footage took ten minutes longer than he would have liked. But Gulisnita sleep clouded mind only lasted the first two minutes.Now the lines around his dark mouth deepened.

Slamming his mug on the table, Gulisnita brown eyes shot Tional a look across the screen that would have killed." Unbelievable, you not only exceeded your authority by sending those obsolete aircrafts in pursuit, but your rashness also cost the lives of two of your pilots, and you still don't have any direct proof linking the nation of Kazan for the attack in our border. If what you say even has an inkling of truth in it, the ship your pilots failed to sink will likely be anchored in the ports of Kalaro in a matter of hours.Where your proof will likely vanish, if, it hasn't already been thrown overboard."

Tional stiffen slightly, he'd already come to that conclusion." Sir, I highly doubt these soldiers did all this simply to destroy their mobile suits once they've successfully escape. If your assuming Kalaro's Isles may have been responsible for this, that's impossible, their military has been in a recession ever since they lost their Special Operations Command center a year ago, even their military budget was cut in half soon after.They can't afford an operation of this magnitude, sir."

" I'm aware of that Colonel, but what exactly do you want me to do. Kalaro isles is out of my jurisdiction and yours, and what little proof you have won't sit well with the National Security Council, I can't request a meeting with your findings.You should simply pass on what you have to the intelligence division and let them deal with it," Gulisnita said leaning back against his chair.

" That's not necessary sir. I have a meeting with NSC at 0930 hours.What I have told you will merely be in my report."

Gulisnita eyes quirked." What.. I am not aware that you have a meeting with the NSC."

" It was upon their request, sir."

" And you fully intend to report your ridiculous findings, regardless of the fact that you have no proof watsoever," Gulisnita asked.

" All the proof we need of Kazan's involvement will be on Kalaro isles, sir.Once that freighter hits port, that evidence will vanish soon after."

" What your saying is we should commit our forces into invading Kalaro isles now, before the fleet has completed its refitting, to recover evidence of Kazan's involvement in that attack, that may not even exist, are you mad," Gulisnita nearly frothed at the mouth.

" I never said that, sir. What I am saying is we need to stop that ship somehow, before it reaches port.We need only capture one of those mobile suits, intact of course, and we'll have all the information we need," Tional persisted.

" I'll pass this information to our men in black uniforms.A half ass report like this may get no wear or simply be placed on a desk and be forgotten," Gulisnita eyes shifted off-screen a moment and fixed themselves sternly on Tional.

" You will," Tional said after a moments paused.

" Of course, this attack has risen quite a few eyebrows in our direction, our reputation as a Guard Division has been heavily tainted by these recent events.This is a matter I will have to look into personally," relied Gulisnita as give a final nodd.

A moment later the image on the screen was replaced by a blue sphere icon.

Tional glanced at the time on the lower left corner of the screen, 0132 hours, two hours since the Cirusses had return; minus one, another pair of young lives; his lives, snuffed out by these border crashers.'_ How many more will die by their hands before this is over_.'

There was two things he could count on, General Gulisnita's need to grab any chance for glory that he can find, no matter how insignificant it may seem and his need to protect his own ass.The tidbits of information, added with the camera footage he had release over the comm were only seeds, the information about his meeting with the NSC had been the water; there was no doubt in his mind that Gulisnita was only now confirming there was such a meeting to take place in a few hours, once that meeting was confirmed, Gulisnita would do exactly as Tional expected of him.

" You really think he'll try to have that ship sinked!" Major Quito asked," Why not simply report what you have told him to the Secretary General."

" Informing the GS won't disapproved my report, the General's choices are few and time limited, he has to confirmed or denounced my report while staying a safe distance away from any direct involvement," Tional shrugged." If we're lucky, the ESF or EZG will run across our report and simply take it upon themselves to deal with it in a timely fashion.I'm betting on the ESF, they lost one of their own after all and that can't be any good for their reputation."

" What do we do now?" Quito asked nodding his head in understanding.

" Pack your things and get some rest, we leave for Revil at 0730 hours."

Snapping a crisp salute, Quito said." As you wish, sir."

Tional hadn't mention to Quito as he watch the junior officer leave his office, that this so call meeting was one they may not walk away from alive, thankfully, he still had a few cards to play and one was already on the board, he just had to wait and see how that one played out before adjusting his tactics.He had every intention of walking away from that NSC meeting with his head attach to his neck.

l

' _So there is such a meeting taking place at 0930 hours_,' Gulisnita thought tapping the OFF switch to shut the monitor feed.' _That sonofabitch is trying to unsurp my authority_."

He turn away from his monitor screen to fixed his gazed on his aid-de-camp in the of midst of adjusting her uniform skirt, he thought about stopping her, but decide against it, he had finish with her an hour earlier; in a few hours she would be transferred to the frontlines in command of her own mechanized rifle company; with his sign recommendation, and a new aid would be flown in to replace her; female of course.

Gulisnita brought up his screen and type in a four-digit number, his direct line to CinCNF.It took five minutes for a response, in which time he nodded for the aid to get him a fresh cup of coffee and to leave the room.He knew the Comander-In-Chief Northern Fleet would be a hard case to deal with this early in the morning.Three minutes later, the screen flared to life, nearly blinding Gulisnita as the dazed eyes belonging to the oval face of the CinCNF appeared on screen.

" Admiral Feltiz? General Gulisnita.I got a report here you might find very interesting.

Remember what you asked about earlier, its true, i'm officially confirming it.Here's the interesting part." It took six brisk minutes to outline everything." In less than two hours they should be making port in Kalaro, good time to get one up on us land lovers."

Admiral Feltiz was already looking at him with a mixture of suspicion and amazement." So they just waltz across our border, kicked your guys around and run off, unscathed."

Gulisnita bit his lower lip." That's correct admiral. The border guard commander is heavy on the soft side and his troops are poorly trained, something I intend to rectify later in the day. Is there any chance you can have your boys intercept that ship before it makes port."

Feltiz sneered." So you want me to clean up your boy's mess is that it, I have half a mind to let this one play out.But I can't overlook a bunch of critters murdering our people inside our own border, makes us look weak. I'll have a chat with Rear Admiral El Virion, but its ultimately his decision to make."

" Any help you can give to push this through will be greatfully accepted in this matter," Gulisnita said, giving an empty smile.

" Go fuck yourself Gulisnita or another one of your aids, cause if your people did their duty, I wouldn't have to be cleaning up your people's mess," Feltiz spat and the screen went dead.

Gulisnita shrugged as he rosed from his seat that a towel nearly came off his waist.His left hand grabbed downward while his right gripped the cup of steaming hot coffee and rose it to his lips to take a long sip._' Ahh, let those navy pukes handle this_.'

l

Herovich moved slowly back to the chart table with the ship medic at his side. His pumps were almost keeping up with the inflow of water.The _**SeaGazer **_was down half a meter at the bow.Portable fire pumps were being set near the cargo area to draw more seawater out and eject it over the side--through the holes the **_Guild_ **missiles had made.He smiled wanly to himself.The ship medic followed him around.Athan had practically pulled a gun on the elder man, forcing him to allow the ship doctor to re-address his wounds as best he can, give him a bottle of blood plasma and some morphine.He was greatful for the latter--his pain was still there, but not nearly so bad as it had been.The plasma container was a damn nuisance, with the medic holding it aloft as he moved around the pilothouse.But he knew he needed it.Herovich wanted to stay alive a few hours longer--and who knows, he thought, if the Kalaroians are prepared for their arrival as the last communication had indicated, then a skill surgeon was awaiting the arrival of the injured, I might even live...

There was more important things at hand.He had studied the charts of the port they were allowed to enter and memorize the information the harbour pilot had relayed by radio, but he had never actually been in this exact port.The harbour pilot had said there would be no tugs, which meant docking would be twice as hard.

A single Grave circled his ship once after making a short trip to the harbour.A miracle that it can still hover for so long, the captain thought, after being strafe by those pesky fighters.The mechanics onboard had manage to check its systems for any damage.Some minor repairs had been needed, there were an even dozen pits and dents in its armor from 20mm exploding rounds, but there it was, hovering just aft of the superstructure, landing slowly and ackwardly in the roiled air.

" How are you feeling?" Athan inquired.

" How do I look?" A brave smile that failed to draw one in return.Athan knew he should physically carry the man to the harbour in his mobile suit to the waiting medical response unit, but who would dock the ship? Captain Herovich was dying before his eyes.The ship doctor had made that clear an hour earlier.There was internal bleeding that the ship's medical bay was not equiped to deal with.The plasma and bandages couldn't hope to deal with that. " We're almost there commander, only a few more minutes.If this ship hasn't sunk by now, I highly doubt it will in the next hour."

" I'm not worried about us sinking yet, captain. I'm worried about your health.The Kalaroian goverment has dispatch a company of tanks and a mobile suit team at the quay, I doubt we'll be seeing any Guild fighters once we reach within range of their guns," Athan sigh." You should rest, captain."

Herovich shook his head like a drunken man." That will come soon enough.Eight more kilometers.We're racing in too fast as it is, and if there is an air battle going over Kalaro as they've inform us, we may have an aircraft or two heading our way.We must get to the dock and unload my injured crew and your equipments as soon as possible.What about the technicians."

" My team has transported most of them ashore already, along with their equipments, there's only a few left and they'll be leaving on the next flight," replied Athan as he turned to stare across the darken landscape.

Herovich followed his gazed towards the glassless pilothouse, he could hear the roar of the Grave's rocket engines as it took flight for the harbour; with the last of the technicians, already the second suit piloted by the young lady was securing the quay, along with a dozen tanks and a team of mobile suits from Kalaro's Defence Force; with lights mounted on those mobile suits shoulders to steer the SeaGazer in; but those lights offered little guidance.

Herovich knew that he was finishing the work the Guild had began.Driving his ship into the harbour at sixteen knots was worse than reckless.The sea bottom here was rock, not mud, and a grounding could easily rip the bottom open.But he feared another air attack even more, and he was sure that a flight of Guild fighters was heading this way, laden with missiles and bombs that would rob him of the lives of his countrymen in the last few minutes of their voyage.

" Midships!" he called

" Rudder amidships," the helmsman acknowledge.

He'd learned an hour before that his first officer was dead, from wounds sustained in the strafing attack.His best helmsman had died screaming before his eyes, along with many of his skilled deckman; thirteen in all, with half a dozen more injured.He had only one man qualified to take the shore sightings necessary for a positive position fix.But the quay was in sight, and he'd depended on a seaman's eye.

" Slow to half speed," he ordered.The helmsman relayed the order on the engine room comm.

" Rudder right full." He watched his ship's head come slowly right.He stood on the centerline of the bridge, carefully lining his jack-staff up with the quay, or more important the search lights in the distance, shining like a beacon of hope.There was no one trained to handle the mooring lines.He wondered absent mindly if the Kalaroian tankers could do it.

The ship touched bottom.Herovich was thrown from his feet and cursed loudly with pain and rage.He'd misjudged his approached, plus the darkness didn't help.The SeaGazer shudder as she slid across the rocky bottom.There was no time to check his chart.When the tide turn, the harbour's strong eddy currents would make his landing an impossible nightmare.

" Reverse you rudder." A minute later the ship was fully afloat again.The captain ignored the flooding alarms that hooted behind him.The hull was penetrated, or maybe the damage seems had sprung further.No matter.The dock was a mere thousand meters away.It was a massive quay made of rough stone." Midships.All stop."

The ship was moving far to fast to stop. The mobile suit pilots and tankers on the dock could already see that, and were slowly backing up, away from the edge, fearing it would crumble when the ship struck.Herovich grunted with dark amusement.So much for the line handlers. Eight hundred meters.

" All back full."

Six hundred meters.The ship whole mass shuddered as the engines fought to slow her.She headed into the berth at a thirty-degree angle, her speed now seven knots.Herovich walked to the engine room comm.

" On my order, shut down the engines, pull the manual sprinkler handle, and evacuate the engine spaces."

" What are you doing?" Athan asked, generally curious, portable handheld radio in his right hand.

" We cannot moor to the quay," Herovich answered simply." Your mobile suit's hands are to big to handle the lines, many of my seamen are dead and we don't have time to tell the Kalaroian's what has to be done," The berth Herovich had selected was precisely half a meter shallower than his ships draft, if the map was accurate.Herovich went back to the engine room comm.

" Now, engineroom."

Below, the chief engineer gave the orders.His chief reactor technician cut off the minovsky ultracompact fusion reactors and ran to the escape ladder.The engineer yanked the emergency handle for the fire suppression system and followed, after counting heads to make sure that all of his men had gotten out.

" Rudder hard right."

A minute later the bow of the **_SeaGazer_** rammed into the quay at a speed of four knots.Her bow crumble as though constructed of paper, and the whole ship pivoted to the right, her side slamming against the rocks in a shower of orange spark.The impacted ripped the ship's bottom open at the turn of her starboard bilges.Instantly her lower decks flooded, and the ship settle rapidly to the bottom, only a few feet below her flat keel.The SeaGazer would never sail again.But she had reach land.

Herovich waved to Athan." My men will deploy the four life boats we have in the stern.As for you, get your unit off the ship immediately.Then used some sort of bridging equipment to take the supplies off the ship and onto the dock."

" We can deal with that ourselves.Now, there's a Kalaroian EMS unit at the dock waiting on you.Your taking the first trip to the dock and I won't take no for an answer." Athan turned around and nodded to a pair of seamen and both men assisted the captain off of the bridge without a fight. There might still be time to save his life.

l

The debriefing or ( interrogation) as Kailyn viewed it, was held in Colonel Mande Veoha office, commanding officer of _**Fort**_ _**Nirka**_'s defence force, surrounded by army intelligence officers and half a dozen senior officers that had driven ( as air travel was hazardous) from the capital,_** VeiNor**_ and_** Mateuss**_ bases; which one officer reflected absent mindly as he entered the office, they were getting their butt kicked and the enemy had shown no sign of sending ground troops anytime soon.The questions they asked were lengthy and boring, almost repetitive at times, and none of which Kailyn admitted silently to himself he had an inkling about.

After thirty minutes of hearing the same old questions, and saming to get no where, Kailyn began to notice something he hadn't before.These men were afraid, sure as the sun rose each morning, but there was something else, they were eyeing him like a poor man eyes a goose that layed golden eggs.In their eyes he was there last hope, their savior.In Kailyn's eye he saw a bunch of pencil pushing dickheads who were hoping for the impossible; one man never won a war by himself.

Kailyn remain still, dressed in full uniform, swearing inwardly at being awaken at the early dawn hours and wishing he could swallow the swarm of saliva that was swimming in his mouth.Luckily one of the Army intelligence officers glanced at the time and turn to Colonel Veoha suddenly." I think that's enough questions for today.Besides, it'll take us all morning to review this information anyway."The Intel officer held up a disk.The kind that came in a clear plastic casing, through which the rainbow sheen of the circular unit-shone.

' _The Gizen gun camera footage, these guys work as fast as usual_,' Kailyn thought shifting his weight ever so slightly and turning half a dozen heads in the process, he suddenly felt an itch to escape these pencil pushers, when Colonel Veoha suddenly rosed in front of him and stretch his hand across the wooden desk." After all the commotion you've caused since your return.I doubt anyone's welcome you back home and thank you for what you've brought back, could very well save alot of lives in the days to come."

" Uh, thanks," Kailyn gripped Veoha hand.The grip could injure.

Veoha released his hand and turned to the officers." There's a small office space at the end of the hall, everything should already be in place."

The hustle to leave the office began in extreme haste, most wanting to view the Gizen (r) gun camera footage that had been automatically recorded during his battles in the Latana plains.This video footage was only one of many copies, dozens of others had already been shipped out.It will be studied closely by the Intel officers for the modifications and new capabilities of this new TMS-17K Lupus X.

Kailyn stared up at Veoha, the man give an aura of authority, not unlike the stench of fear that the Intel officers give off.After the last officer had leave, Veoha turn to face the window, hands by his side." Things aren't going very well for us lieutenant.The Guild are pushing us further and further behind our defense lines, the casaulty lists are growing by the hour and our troops our completely disorganized."

Kailyn wasn't sure if he was suppose to give an answer, so he didn't.Since he hadn't been dismissed, he could only watched in despair at the corner of his eyes as the last Intel officer slipped out of the door and close it behind him, along with his hope of leaving this office.

"We weren't prepared for this, we're still recovering from what happen to Ratheon, and now this happens." the Colonel headed shifted right, gazing at something outside his window for a second." So what rank were you."

Kailyn raised his eyebrows." A-Rank."

Veoha turned to face him, the Colonel's brown eyes digging into his own." Bloody hell, I'd heard the rumors that twelve out of fifty-six cadets manage to make it that far; became the best of the best mobile suit pilots our country had to offer, and those that didn't make it were pushed within other sections of the Black Knights Special Operations Command or the regular arm forces, depending on their performance."

Kailyn smiled inwardly, but kept a straight face." That didn't mean they weren't any better than those of us that went through the entire course."

Veoha nodded." Possibly. Fort Nirka hasn't been hit yet, but that could change any time now, and I'd be a foolish commander to assume we won't be, we'll get hit today, I'm sure of it, so I'd like to use that A -rank skill of yours along with that new suit you brought us in our defence, its the only thing we have at the moment that is capable of air combat. It should be in Hanger Nine, I'd check up on it as soon as possible."

" I'll try my best sir."

" That's all we can ask, your dismissed lieutenant. Good luck."

Kailyn snapped a saluted that was return and bolted outside, taking a direct route to Hanger Nine, where the Gizen (r) was supposedly stored under heavy guard. He recognized Wilisk immediately, having a low key conversation with a few maintenance technicians as he lifted his new security pass for the guard to look at.Wilisk looked up as Kailyn was allowed pass the last security post and shooed the two men and a female away as he approached.

" That was fast, I expected them to hold you up for a few hours at the least," Wilisk said motioning him ahead.

" They call it a debriefing, more like an interrogation," Kailyn replied." Never did like pencil pushers, those intelligence guys just look at a computer generated attack plan and figures it can be done exactly like that, fuckers never consider the human side of the equation."

Wilisk nodded and turn to stare inside the hanger, gesturing at the door that led in the back, where a few Gyriq mobile suits still undergoing some kind of maintenance were kept." The tech guys from Mateuss base wanted to disassemble your new mobile suit down to the last bolt, the Colonel talked them out of it of course.So instead we spent all night preparing her for combat."

' _My suit, when did this thing actually become my suit_,' Kailyn thought.

" Refueling and reloading of the vulcan cannons are complete," Wilisk continued nudging him on his shoulder and leading him through the doorway into the maintenance area."New non reflective coat of paint been added and a welding team will have ur shield fix in a few hours, unfortunately that new machinegun is of a new calibre of which we have no ammunition for."

Kailyn stopped at the base of the newly painted night black and metalic silver Gizen (r) right feet, the paint was still fresh." What about a 76mm heavy machinegun, have to be a few of those laying around here."

" Fraid not, the Guild don't exactly export mobile suit components or weapons, the ones not already in use, require parts we can only manufacture in limited quantities," replied Wilisk checking his watch as he began moving towards the exit. " If the Guild don't send their invading force by noon.I may be able to get ahold of something in the armory, we still have some experimental weapons we were testing at Ratheon stored down there."

" You think they'll work with this Guild suit," Kailyn said, eyes quirking in disbelief.

" Not yet, but once we're done with this thing, it'll be better than it was before it got here," Wilisk said winking, he suddenly stopped in midstride." If your going inside the cockpit, don't tamper with those arms new settings, until the operating system upgrades are done or it'll conflict with the weapon-controls rendering them useless."

" What do I look like some fresh out the academy recr...The base alarm suddenly began blaring its warning klaxon, Kailyn froze in place, right index finger pointed at Wilisk forehead, mouth open in mid-word." What the..."

The alarm klaxon stopped ringing.The metallic voice of the announcing system said, all over the base." Battle stations, man your battle stations.This is not a drill.Detecting four TRN-19F Ra Laspers, five AMF-04C Lupos Stratuses and one AMF-04D Lupos Commander Type incoming, twelve kilometers.

" Sounds like a major air attack, but why now."

" Had to happen sooner or later, can the Gizen be used in combat now," Kailyn asked, facing the Gizen as the men in overalls and combat wears made a run for their stations.

Wilisk turn to face him and looked up at the Gizen." Impossible, not for another couple of hours, the arms are useless until the software download is completed."

Kailyn turned desperately around, looking inside the hanger at the collection of Gyriqs." What about those, there has to be at least one combat ready."

Wilisk followed his gazed." A Gyriq, you want to pilot a grounded Gyrig against an atmospheric type mobile suit.Are you crazy, Gyriq aren't exactly top of the line mobile suits."

Kailyn was only half listening as he bolted for the nearest Gyriq's right leg, using it as a host to get up and into the cockpit, strapping himself into the seat and closing the hatch in front of him, the Gyriq was already warmed up and activated.He took the helmet off the armrest --the plain helmet of a begginer without nickname or logo. It had been over a year since he'd been at the controls of Gyriq, and at that moment it didn't feel as if it had been that long.

Shouldering the G5 380mm bazooka on its right shoulder and raising the left arm to grip the barrel for stability, the GTS-04 Gyriq began its slow marched outside.

l

There was a certain strangeness to everything.Somehow, when First Sergeant Carlita Avena was finally able to open her eyes and keep them open, she noticed that everyhthing had changed.The early morning sunrise barely lit the room she was in, but yet everything seem so bright, so white.Looking straight ahead, she could see the ceiling, the light hanging from the ceiling, and the pole next to her. Still this didn't help her.With her head clouded from drugs and pain killers, Avena didn't have any idea where she was.She wasn't even sure, for that matter, if she was conscious or in the throes of a seriously weird dream.With an effort that require every bit of conscious thought she could muster, Avena forced her head over to one side.Unfortunately, once it started moving, Avena felt a momentary panic when she realized that she couldn't stop it.So her head rolled to the side until the side of her face flopped down on the thin pillow.

For a moment she rested from exertion, gathering the strength and presence of mind she would need to continue her exploration.Ready, she pried her eyes open again, noting everything to terribly blurry, making every object soft and ill defined.Eventually, after her cloudy brain was able to identify the objects she saw, Avena realized that she was looking at a bed, a hospital bed with someone sitting in it.Taking this discovery into account, it wasn't long before Avena was finally able to deduce that since she was looking at a hospital bed, this meant that this was a hospital.If this was true, her erratic logic ran, then she must be in a hospital bed herself.If all that proved true, she finally concluded, she was wounded and not quite dead yet.After working all of that out, Avena allowed herself to relax and rest.There was, as she did so, a certain feeling of joy, but not for having survived, because it was a way too soon to come to such sophisticated levels of self-awareness.Instead, her source of joy was having been able to figure out where she was.

When she was finally able to continue, Avena looked closer at the person sitting on the bed across from her, that one person had become three, one sitting on the bed and two others facing him with their backs to her, all wearing the black and gray khaki uniform of the Elite Syber Forces Division.Clearing her throat, Avena attempted to speak but couldn't muster any coherent words on her first try.That effort, however, was not wasted, since the two men standing turn to face her, while the third wearing a Colonel tab slidded off the bed and approached her.Having the Elite colonel so close encouraged Avena to redouble her efforts.Ready, Avena forced the words out of her mouth, almost word by word." Where... am... I."

The colonel, without a change of expression, glanced back at his fellow elites and then back to her, responded." Senna Air Force base military hospital."

At first Avena couldn't remember what she was doing in Senna, most important how she had gotten in the hospital.Closing her eyes, Avena tried to sort this out." What happen, how did i...?Like a bolt of lighnting flashing through her brain, she was quickly able to recall the battle in the Latana plains, her humiliated defeat and her

hasty retreat.With her memory fully restored under the effects of the anesthesia that was beginning to wear off, Avena opened her eye again.

" That's what we're here to find out, Sergeant.Your mobile suit came in hot, with no response to communication, you litterly crashed just outside of Senna's defensive perimeter.Your lucky to be alive, at the cost of one valuable piece of military equipment."

" What...it was... that guy.." Avena voiced was that of a drunken woman, but it stopped suddenly.Her eyes search the white room, trying to find something to focus on and came up empty.

The Elites shared a glanced amongst themselves." What guy." One wearing a Captain's tab asked.

" I... don't...know, civilian, he took.. control... of the Gizen, that new brand of mobile suit," replied Avena.

Another glanced was shared, the Colonel spoke." A civilian, your telling us, a trained soldier of the Guild army, was defeated by a civilian, who somehow manage to acquire and operate such a complex machine as the TMS-19 series.How can you be sure he wasn't a soldier."

Avena surprised herself when she shook her head.She was getting better, she thought.She could now move her head.She could control it at will." He was with two other civilians...I... killed them..made him...mad...he came... after me..tried to..kill me."

" Oh.Then this pilot was motivated by revenge for the lost of his comrads.That still doesn't tell us how he operated the Gizen (r)," the third elite with a Lieutenant tab finally interjected.

Unbeknowst to Avena, the ESF had a blurry photograph of the young man, who had lay waste to several Covera Ars, a gunship and a platoon worth of mobile suits, including one of their fellow elites, utilizing a machine that until recently had been given to only a select few officers who were loyal to the state.Colonel Sertiva Ge Orsini of the ESF Intelligence Bureau leaned forward ever so slightly, since he was in charge he would direct the questions, but the idea that the pilot who had captured the Gizen (r), the newest, most advanced mobile suit to be produced was a civilian was hard to swallow, not after he had seen what was left of Major Guile's Lupus S and its gun camera footage and had seen the analysis of this first sergeant's' own Lupus X's recordings on the captured Gizen's assault, however brief it was, was even accurate within two percent as he had been informed.Then that pilot had somehow pushed the Gizen (r) easily to within 94.3 of its maximum performance.He knew of only unit that had gotten such a high performance score; the top secret ESF team codename **'ColdHeart**s; a specially trained black ops unit.

The idea that a civilian could get such a high performance mark equal to the best of the best of ESF pilots, with a machine that the pilot should never have been able to move, let alone do battle with on his first try, did not sit well with Colonel Orsini, something about that youngman didn't add up." You said you killed two others that were with him, where was this."

This question didn't require any heavy thinking." They surprised me...came out of nowhere...I thought... they were responsible for shooting us down."

" Then there's a high chance they came from that Foundation town..." the captain glance at a notepad and flipped a page." Versa was it, we should be able to get some information about that pilot from there if we show his picture around."

" It doesn't look like he was with the LFA after all, that surviving Covera Ar pilot was correct, the Gizen (r) was attack by one of those unknown suits and it flew away from them.Could still be in the area," the lieutenant added.

" Possible... Orisni began, but a loud beeping sound interrupted his sentence, he glanced at his hip and reached down, withdrewing a wireless phone from the case on his belt, raising it to his right ear as he walked towards the window." Orsini here."

The Colonel's expression changed suddenly, his colleagues notice his newly hard expression as the whispering conversation continued over the phone, and turn to face him, Avena forgotten at the moment.

" What's happen," the Captain asked the moment the Colonel replaced his wireless phone in its case.

" They've located those unknown mobile suits, they're at Kalaro's BolZie Harbour.The Buchus battle group just dispatch an attack squadron to capture one of those machines," the Colonel sighed as he looked at Avena." We're done here, there's nothing of real importance she can tell us, we leave for the aircraft carrier Buchus as soon as the flights been arranged. Captain Rangen head to Versa, find out what you can and join us as soon as you are able."

This was almost to much for Avena's mind to absord as it floated in a drug-induced bliss.While the syber elite force's colonel talked with his men, Avena only got a piece here and there.Perhaps if she rested awhile, she'll understand more.Closing her eyes, Avena quickly drifted back to sleep.

l

' _So this must be the commander's unit coming_, noted KDF Lieutenant Jectan Ovah CO of the 34th MS Team, the **'Iron Warriors'**; as his Gyriq mono-eye tracked the desert yellow and green mobile suit as it touched down, its backpack and ankle thrusters flaring for a moment as they slowed the machine to a complete stop.A cloud of dust mix with exhaust blew over the two pilots that stood to greet the suit, they raised their hands to shield there eyes until the suit completed its landing, kneeling down on one knee in a similiar fashion as the other two identical suits parked beside a warehouse, inactive mono-eye facing the sea.One of the pilots; the male; run to greet the pilot, while the other stood a dozen meters away.He raised his hand as the pilot exit the cockpit, using the line that dangle near the cockpit to reached the ground.

Lieutenant Ovah was beginning to debate if he should go greet the CO of this mobile suit team that had found their way to Kalaro's shore, when the man began moving forward in his direction.Pausing in thought, Ovah watched as the figure, marching as if on parade, headed straight for him.

Sighing he shut the Gyriq down to Standby mode and popped the hatch, wincing once as the cold morning air slapped him across the face, and wipe his face with his right glove hand to warm it, grabbing his team jacket as he exit.When the tank platoon commander standing outside his RO-01 **Zergize** main battle tank saw Ovah, he came forward also, his hand on his pistol butt.Ovah, however, raised his hand and signaled to the 2nd Lieutenant." Stand by your tank Rowan. I'll handle this."

The tank commander, unsure of what to do stopped, looked at Ovah, then at the man approaching them.Then threw his hands in the air and returned to his Zergize.The mobile suit commander met him half-way."

" Lieutenant Jectan Ovah, KDF, and you are."

The man hesitated a moment as if deciding what to say." Just call me Athan for now."

Ovah stared at Athan, then at the collection of mobile suits that he was unable to identified, but was definitely far superior to his Gyriqs, and blurted." What the hells going on? Why the fuck are you people here in the first place, we...

Athan, his face looking to and fro, cut Ovah short.Not only was there an urgent need to get underway, but Athan didn't like the current location of his forces, they were to much in the open." This is a need to know situation Lieutenant, I can't tell you anymore than what your superiors has inform you.What I need to know is how long are we going to stay here, my team and I need to find cover as soon as possible."

Ovah felt himself flushed with anger at Athan's demeanor and tone.Athan notice this but did not relent." Our ship took two missile hits and got strafe by a couple of Guild fighters, so you can bet we're on the same side.How soon can you take me to see your CO and find cover for our mobile suits in order to re-supply."

There was not a sign that Athan had any intention of telling him, why his mobile suit team and an entire tank company had been ordered from their defensive positions outside Mateuss base to provide security for people they didn't know, who ever these guys were, they had cloat with the higher ups.Rather than press further, Ovah turn and pointed northeast." My orders are to keep you here, until further orders have been recieve. Should be any minute now, Fort Nirka is only fifteen klicks in that direction."

Athan looked like he was ready to burst, and Ovah couldn't help smirking." And how long is this going to take."

In the distance, the sound of an alarm klaxon began their screeching, it lasted a full minute and subsided.

Ovah listen for another minute in silence." Must be another air attack, from the sound of it Fort Nirka is the target this time, shit."

Athan turned to face Ovah." And your not worried, shouldn't you go check it out."

Ovah tilted is head ever so slightly and peered at Athan." My team's station at Mateuss base, until now we're the only ones that has been getting hit nonstop, so excuse me if I don't give a shit."

Athan shrugged." Its your country do what ever you feel like, inform me when we can move out, we'll be in our mobile suits." Signaling Vicati and Varl, he ordered them into their suits.

Ovah eyed the back of Athan head, with a glare that could kill and turn towards his own mobile suit, when a flash in the distance caught his eyes." What in the hell--".Like two giant birds of prey, a pair of massive flying objects appeared over the horizon, apparently coming overland at high speed.

The pair of mobile suits, clearly visible now swooped down low towards a tank platoon like a pair of hawks about to snatch their prey.Before anyone could fire a shot the lead Lupos Stratus took aim with its TAU-21C 4-barrel 40mm gatling cannon and fired a rain of 40mm High Explosive Incindiary, Tracers ( HEI-T) at the three MBTs, ripping through the thinly armored top, utterly tearing them apart as chunks of the vechicles went flying in the explosion.

Ovah was inside his Gyriq when the third tank exploded from the combine firepower of the Lupos Stratuses, his Gyriq slowly rosed, G5 380mm bazooka elevating and cursing for not taking heed of Fort Nirka's alarm klaxons, even as the three unidentified suits began returning fire while taking cover behind the warehouses.

His proximity alarm begin blaring and he turn the Gyriq around, cursing it for turning slow and stared wide eyes in fright as a heat sword run his Gyriq through effortlessly; for the briefest of moments, he saw an emblem of a hawk in the shape of pure white lightning on this Lupos Commander Type breast plate, before his world became painfully hot, white and then black.

l

If Ovah lacked the ability to comprehend fully what had just happen to him, Captain Raden ' Lightning Hawk' Artina, squadron commander of the 205th Tactical Assault Squadron, more than made up for him.Easing his T-S/28 heat sword out of the upper torso area of the Gyriq, Artina couldn't help but grin at his 9th mobile suit kill.He watched with satisfaction as the mobile suit's main camera eye went dim, its pilot incinerated, but yet the suit remain defiantly upright.

Behind his Lupos Commander Type, his wingman's Lupos Stratus landed with a crashed, opening fire on the second Gyriq wth a full burst of HEI-T rounds.The high-velocity tracers tore holes in the stencil steel armored torso of the KDF mobile suit.The Gyrig folded and crumble to the ground, its pilot dead with a shot in the cockpit. " Sir, I've acquired one of the unknown mobile suits, it appears to be severely damage."

The Lupos Strautus piloted by Lieutenant Mentican Nasku pointed his quad barrel gatling gun ahead.

Artina looked in that direction and zoomed in, targeting recticule hovering over the desert yellow and green mobile suit, his computer fail to identified.Sure enough, it was missing its right arm by the elbow assembly, but still shouldered a bazooka-like weapon on its left shoulder armor and clenched in its left hand." Good eyes Nasku, we'll captured this unit.Lieutenant Chell and Lieutenant Olden, take your wingmen and destroy all remaing units, proceedd with caution, their abilites are as yet known.408th Tactical Fighter Squardon, provide constant air support when needed."

There was chorus of acknowledging replies over the squadron net.

Suddely his threat recievers instrument beeped and his Lupos Commander Type mono-eye flared blue in anticipation as the left hand TAU-21C 40mm Gatling gun's barrel pushed the Gyriq backwards as the four Navy's Ra Laspers scream ahead and released a trio of AS-11s air to surface missles.'_ One more mobile suit killed and then I'll truly be a mobile suit ace_."

l

One of three AS-11s from a pair of TRN-19F Ra Laspers whizzed pass Athan's Grave's right shoulder armor, so close that he saw the mach-4 missiles exhaust plume behind it, in the midst of his Grave turning sideways and leaping back, as it flew pass to plow into one of the metal warehouses that lined the harbour behind him, turning it into an orange fireball that blazed into the sky.

Athan landed with a crash that jarred him in the seat, while he aim his 'Replica' gatling gun and sprayed a line of HE rounds upward.The two Ra Lasper tried to veer out of the line of tracers path, but the tracers tracked in on one. The 40mm HE rounds tore through its fuselage and left wing's missile.The Ra Lasper exploded in mid-air, the fuselage and wings spinning off in seperate directions.

" Varl, give me cover fire," Athan yelled into the radio as two more Ra Laspers appeared, releasing a pair of missiles apiece that force him to leap back and away from their strike area, watching in a low powered jump as two missiles slammed into the ground in front of him, kicking up a cloud of dust and harden concrete; while the second pair of missiles blew apart a second warehouse to his front left in a blaze of glory, obsecuring his main camera field of vision.

" Oh, my lord," whispered Varl into the comm, as he saw what Athan had only know noticed after the dust cloud had subsided enough ahead so his main camera telephoto lens could record in real-time. The Lieutenant he had been talking to not five minutes ago Gyriq layed crumble on the ground and standing over it, holding a red hot heat sword in the right hand and a TAU-21C 40mm Gatling gun in its left, stood an AMF-04D Lupos Commander Type, its 40mm gatling gun snapped forward and stitch a line of HEI-T rounds between itself and a Zergize that had rolled forward to take a potshot at it, it never got the chance as the Kalaroian MBT jerked as the thinly armored top was riddle with several dozen rounds, before exploding into a shower of sparks and then began to spew dark smoke upward.

In that rare moment as the Lupos Commander Type's gatling gun blazed the Zergize into oblivion, Athan got a glimpse of the emblem of a hawk in the shape of pure white lightning on its left breast armor plate." Bloody Hell, that guy's a fucking ace."

l

Eighty meters to Athan's left and adding even more of a distance, Vicati stopped and level her 310mm bazooka and fired a single rocket at the robin blue and haze-gray colored Lupos Stratus, which leapt aside and return fire, forcing her back and away from the deadly tracers path.

Gritting her teeth in frustration, she turned her gazed to the Lupos Commander Type who bore an Ace mark, it was making short work of a Zergize and distracted.Taking out a confirmed ace of the Guild navy would give her a notch in repution as the ' Bazooka Maiden'.Leveling her 310mm bazooka, the recticule confirmed a lock-on just as the Lupos Commander Type turn its mono-eye to face her and she fired.

With an ease that worried her, it leapt clear of the rocket's path and return fire, putting up a wall of short control burst of HEI-T rounds, that force her to leapt aside and find cover behind a warehouse made of metal sheets.

As the tracers went wide, there was a crashing sound to her right and she turned to see the Lupos Stratus charging forward, left hand gatling guns firing, right hand heat sword raised.

Vicati jerked her Grave back and away from cover, only to catch a burst from the Lupos Commander Type across her Grave's right shoulder armor, that jarred her inside the cockpit, even as her secondary cameras watched the Lupos Stratus skirted to her right flank.Stumbling backwards, she shifted the Grave slightly and fired an unaimed rocket that slam into the ground in front of the Lupos Stratus, forcing it back.

' _Shit, this is not good, their ganging up on me. Athan, Varl I could really used some help here'_

l

" Incoming, three o'clock," Varl barked over the radio.Athan snapped his main camera thirty degrees to his right and saw a pair of Lupos Stratuses closing in.Yellow tracers reached out from an intact Zergize turret mounted machinegun, forcing both to scatter in mid-air, but instantly a third appeared, this one firing its own gatling gun at the Zergize and exploding it.Athan swore as the atmospheric type mobile suit veered in mid-air, its thrusters flaring and wings outstretched to stablize it in mid-air as it fired two ASM from's its torso mounted missile launchers at another Zergize, that was already ablazed; its crew in the midst of abandoning the MBT for an environment ripe with flying razor sharp shrapnels and massive explosions.The Zergize exploded from the twin missiles, its crew vanish inside the ball of flames.The Lupos Stratus never had a chance to celebrate its double kills, as a line of tracers from Varl's ' Replica' gatling gun caught the suit off guard, punching through its thin armor hide.The moble suit folded in mid-air, succumbing from its injuries as it exploded into a fireball of twisted metal.

The two Lupos Stratuses reappeared in front of Athan to exact revenge for the death of a comrade, spitting twin lines of tracers across the gap that seperated them.Athan skidded backwards and leapt over another warehouse as the tracers tear up the ground where he had been moments earlier; and landed in front of a warehouse that soon became riddle with HEI-T rounds and snapped back a 3 round burst of his 100mm machinegun in return, forcing both to split, one landing on the ground and ducking behind a smoldering warehouse to avoid the incoming rounds., the second veered right, gun blazing in retaliation, then suddenly the 100mm machinegun emptied and Athan in a mid-power jump backwards ejected the emptied clip, landed deftly and slap a fresh one in, just in time for a HEI-T round to shatter the 100mm machinegun in his hand.

" Shit," Athan swore, dropping the useless scrap of metal as he reached for his heat rapier.

The grounded Lupos Stratus spotted the change in weaponary and bolted out from behind the warehouse heat sword drawn and stretching it to its left side, while its comrade above level its gatling gun and fired a burst, forcing Athan back even further.He stole a quick glanced in Varl's location for help and saw the sergeant trading rounds with another Lupos Stratus of his own. For all pratical purposes he was on his own; how ironic Athan mused, just twenty four hours earlier he was bitching about testing his Grave in real combat, and now he was getting plenty of that.

The grounded Lupos Stratus cut on the extra speed it would need to cut the distance between them with is thrusters, heat sword swinging. Athan raised his heat rapier just in time to parry the side slash, staggering both mobile suits backwards for a moment and recovering simulthaneously.

The airborne Lupos Stratus popped high behind the grounded Lupos Stratus, 40mm gatling gun lowering to fired, while below and in front of it, the grounded Lupos Stratus heave forwad to slash, the heat sword clash against the heat rapier, staggering the two mobile suits back and Athan could only watch terrified as the two suits seperate in distance between them; not much, but enough for the Lupos Stratus above to take a shot without endangering his comrade and it was leveling its 40mm gatling gun to take that shot.

Suddenly without warning, before the airborne Lupos Stratus could fire its 40mm Gatling gun, it was struck in its chest with something that ripped it in two.The burning wreckages falling twenty yards behind its comrade.The second Lupos Stratus stopped in mid-forward step and turn back, distracted by its comrade's unexpected destruction.

Athan didn't hesitate, bringing the Grave forward at full throttle and closing the small gap before the mobile suit could bring up its defenses, heat rapier ramming ahead as he aimed for the cockpit hatch in the torso.

l

Elsewhere, Vicati was having her own troubles and her exact position in relative to her team-mates was the last thing running through her mind, grimacing she elevated the 310mm bazooka forward and fire off her last two rounds, one after another, at two seperate targets, from her position behind a bullet riddle metal warehouse to reach into the air.Both rockets missed the highly maneuverable atmospheric mobile suits, who's return fire was deathly accurate.

The twin lines of tracers began raking the warehouse, shredding the metal sheets with little effort, forcing Vicati to raise her Grave and boost backwards and around another warehouse for cover as the former crumble before her eyes.She glanced at the mobile suits as they continously fired short control burst at her new hiding spot as she ducked the Grave's upper body lower for cover." This is bullshit, its like they're playing with me.Where's Varl or Athan."

Vicati hated to admit it to herself, but she needed help.She was running out of warehouses to hide behind, as they were being destroyed one after another.

She lifted her mobile suit head up and above the rusted colored warehouse roof that could have been white or silver at one time; letting her main camera get a full look around, then down again as a hail of high-velocity tracers zipped over the empty space the Grave's head had been seconds ago.She didn't like what she had seen, the Lupos Stratus was less than fifty meters in front of her, partially obsecured by the flames of the burning warehouse as it fired short control burst of its gatling gun rounds, that were easily punching through the metal sheets; but the Lupos Commander Type was no were in sight.

' _Where'd that command unit go,"_ she released the empty 310mm bazooka, leaving it to crash beside her and snatched the 100mm machingun from the Grave's waist armor rack.So far her Grave had recieve mostly superficial damages thus far, but she knew that could change any minute, she was a sitting duck for those two Guild mobile suits.If they had wanted to, they could have finish her off at their own pace, but they were relenting from that goal and she was desperate to find out why., a one armed mobile suit was a light threat after all.'_ Where the hell is the Commander Type."_

As if to answer her question, her Grave's proximity alarmed warning sounded and Vicati twisted her Grave around, 100mm machinegun raising upward. As if from no where, the Lupos Commander Type rockets from behind a warehouse, arcing upwards, its wings spread to provide extra left, giving it a birdlike appearance.

' _Sonofabitch snuck up on me_," Vicati yelped, snapping up her 100mm machinegun and depressing the trigger as the heat sword slashed across the barrel.

The 3-round burst missed, the tracers flying harmlessly under the Lupos Commander Type.Vicati watched helplessly as the 100mm machinegun was sliced in two as the Lupos Commander Type landed with a crash in front of her.She let the 100mm machinegun butt dropped and skidded backwards, smashing through the warehouse, and ripping it in two, while snagging her heat rapier, as the Lupos Commander Type recovered from its landing and began advancing forward slowly.

" Impressive machine," the pilot chuckle over an open broad-spectrum radio channel." Excellent reaction time, but ultimately futile.Now Nasku."

The Lupos Commander Type launched itself toward her Grave, heat sword swinging, Vicati prepared to deflected the strike as her proximity alarmed sounded continously, she glanced at her secondary cameras and froze as the Lupus Stratus rushed her Grave from behind, its empty armed outstretched, as if reaching for a hug.

Vicati cringed in her seat, while screaming as the Lupos Commader Type's heat sword connected with her heat rapier, locking the two mobile suits together.

" Check mate," the same voice chuckled.

She glanced at her secondary cameras, powerless to do anything about the Lupos Stratus as it reached for her Grave in a hug.Suddenly a black object caught the Lupos Stratus in the torso, turning the AMS-04C Lupos Stratus into a fireball and a rain of shrapnels less than a meter from her Grave, even as the Lupos Commander Type pushed backwards and away from her Grave.Its head snapping to her left, mono-eye flashing blue.

As she blinked in shocked at her main camera picture, her screaming reduce to a croak.A thundering boom shatter the early morning sky, even as the Lupos Stratus collapse sideways, its pilot reduced into minced meat, to crashed onto the bullet riddle warehouse.

The Lupos Commander Typed skidded backwards, its thrusters firing and pushing the machine up and away from Vicati, its head snapping to look up.Vicati's Grave's main camera followed suit, just in time to see a fireball that could only have been one of the three remaining Ra Laspers, that had been circling above like red-breasted vultures over their prey, streaking in the sky above her head.

Vicati staggered the Grave to its feet and quickly turned her mono-eye to her left for the source of the attack, and was stun to see a trio of GTS-04 Gyriqs, the lead Gyriq brandishing a smoking 380mm bazooka.Vicati stun state slowly degenerated into amazement, when the lead Gyriq elevated its 380mm bazooka and spit a shell forth into the path of a Ra Lasper that was leveling off, no doubt to release a missile.It never would as the 380mm rocket blew the right wing right off the fighter.

" Reinforcements, about time."

l

On the main road leading into** BolZie** harbour, Kailyn eyes narrowed in recognization over the one arm mobile suit.'_ Bloody krill, its those same suits from the Latana plains, just who the hell are these guys_."

" This is Colonel Veoha, Marauder One, whats the situation at BolZie," asked Veoha over the radio.

' _Marauder One, where in krill do they get these call signs from_," Kailyn snapped the Gyriq mono-eye right and left, scanning BolZie harbour and staring at his main screen as he reported in." Identifying three mobiles suits of unknown origin currently engage with three Guild atmospheric mobile suits.No sign of the 34th mobile suit team or the 9th Tank Company from Mateuss base."

" I see," there was a monment of silence." What's the status of the unknown mobile suits."

Kailyn change his view towards the one arm mobile suit and zoomed in on each individual unit, two of which were trading blows against a pair of Guild Lupos Stratuses with their heat weapons; only the Lupos Commander Type remain standing unmoving, mono-eye glaring upwards in his direction, his eyes narrowed at the emblem on its left breast armor plate." _An ace_ _mark, bloody krill and I'm in a Gyriq of all things_.Their alive for the moment."

" Support those mobile suits immediately, information from Mateuss base, is they're a unit of the LFA forces of the Republic of Lucan.Their survival takes top priority."

Lowering the barrel of the 380mm bazooka, Kailyn draw a bead on the Lupos Commander Type." Mission accepted Fort Nirka, proceeding to elimated all enemy units.Maruder Two and Three take out those two Lupos Stratus first chance you get, I'll keep the commander unit busy."

" Roger that, sir."

Kailyn depress the trigger stick and powered jumped the Gyriq forward, as the Lupos Commander Type dodge his rocket and return fired, Kailyn landed with crash and shifted the left shoulder shield against the tracers, the rounds drilling into the thick reinforce tensil steel armor and move in closer.

l

Athan slashed once more, desperately trying to do more than removed the Lupos Stratus right arm, he swored inwardly at the Lupos Stratus lucky streak.A single thrust in the cockpit had been avoid when the Lupos Stratus had impose its right arm against his rapier, severing its right arm by the wrist.A lucky last ditch survival move by the Lupos Stratus, and had it worked.

But atleast it didn't have the gatling gun anymore he mused, moving in with an overhead slash, that was deflected and parrying the return thrust by the Lupos Stratus.They were even out and he knew it, all the tactics he had used against a computer generated target, was only half effective, but unlike his training this was real any mistake here was fatal.There had to be a way to get the upper hand.

Then it hit him, smiling wickedly, he swung the rapier into two rapid overhead chops, while snagging a clip out of its slot with his Grave's left hand, the Lupos Stratus pilot was relentless, deflecting each chop with ease. The heat rapier and heat sword clanged against each other again. Suddenly Athan kicked on the Grave's thrusters and leap back a few meters, landing with a crump sound.

The Lupos Stratus followed suit, kicking on its own thrusters for a forward leap and raising its heat sword for an overhead slash.

_Got you,_ Athan in a movement so fast, threw the loaded clip at the Lupos Stratus, the banana clip went for its mono-eyes, the Lupos Stratus pilot reacted on pure instinct, slashing the clip in mid-air, the loaded rounds exploded in its face and Athan drove forward, heat rapier swinging.The super heated blade connecting with the Lupos Stratus in mid-air, effortlessly sinking into its torso and through the cockpit as the Grave slid pass, making a 180-degree turn as both half of the Lupos Stratus crashed into the ground and burst into flames.

Athan slouched into his seat, out of breath and gasping for fresh air.That Lupos Stratus pilot had given him everything he had and more, but in the end, he had been victories and in war, that was what counted.

He sat upright in his seat, scanning for Varl and Vicati's Grave. He saw the last Lupos Stratus got knocked down by a Gyriq from behind, just in time for Varl's Grave to thrust his heat rapier down into its cockpit, the mobile suit twitching on the ground for a second and then burstng into flames as its killers backed away.

His smile vanish into fear, as his mind remembered the Lupos Commander Type."_If Vicati's cripple Grave's up against that ace'_.He staggered his Grave around where there was still a sign of a battle going on and broke his Grave into a run towards it. His heart beating and mind hoping he wasn't to late.

l

If there was anyone that needed saving, Artina gasped to himself in the midst of dodging a third 380mm bazooka round, it would be him.He had flown into BolZie with half his squadron and a flight of Ra Laspers with a single objective in mind, captured a new type of mobile suit, that had somehow been shipped to Kaloro isles under the cover of darkness and now that objective lay broken before him.Contact with his squardon was lost, the last report he had recieve from the last Ra Lasper before it had increase altitude to a safe height, was that their were no operating Lupos Stratus in sight, he was alone and even now the pilot of this sorry excuse for a mobile suit was seriously trying to kill him.

_An ace, how dare this piece of shyt place the thought in his head that he could defeat me, Raden Artina, the Lightning Hawk_,' Artina swore as he skidded backwards and leap forward, heat sword gripped tightly in his Lupos Commander Type right hand.

He smirked as he imagine the Gyriq pilot cowering in fear inside the cockpit.The heat sword arc back for a slash that would cut through the Gyriq's shoulder armor.

The Gyriq's dropped its shoulder mounted 380mm bazooka, the weapon crashing to the ground and cracking the hard concrete, but made no move to grab its G/CR-71 Series 9 Heat Ax on its waist armor rack and Artina licked his upper lips as the Lupos Commander Type slashed down.

The Gyriq took one step to the side, its giant mobile suit hand, ball into a fist, rammed into the Lupos Commander Type torso as the heat sword slash air.Artina felt rattle inside the cockpit like a rug doll, even as his mouth open in shock." He dodge it."

As the Lupos Commander Type staggered upright; a noticeable dent in its torso, the threat recievers alarmed sounded and Artina looked right and left. There were two Gyriqs and two of those unknown type of mobile suits heading his way.Gritting his teeth in frustration, he glared at the Gyriq; flicking through the broad-spectrum radio channel as he increase power to his thrusters and launching the Lupos Commander Type airborne as a 380mm bazooka shell flew under its feet." You'll pay for this, Kalaroian maggot.I'll be back and you'll pay, along with the rest of you."

The Gyriq's mono-eye tracked him as he continously rosed and turn away, its backpack mounted thrusters flaring on and pushing the Gyriq across the landscape on a northeastern direction, even as the four mobile suit gazed up at him.The two Gyriqs popping of 380mm bazooka rounds that he easily avoid; turning in mid-air to face northwest, Artina kicked on the thrusters at full throttle, silently praying that his remaining fuel would get him to the carrier.

l

Staring at the thruster flare of the retreating Lupos Commander Type, Athan had no doubt the pilot would keep his word." How's every body doing."

" Beside lacking some ammo, I think we're ok," Varl answered." The question is what do we do now."

Athan stared northeast in the direction the Gyriq Lieutenant had mention Fort Nirka was located." We take what's left of our supplies from the SeaGazer and head to Fort Nirka."

" And after that," Vicati asking, bringing her Grave next to his own.

" We get out of here before the Guild have time to launched another attack," Athan answered." Fort Nirka is suppose to be an airport, so there's a chance we can get a transport and leave. If you haven't notice, the Guild same to be gunning for us, no telling how long we have before the next attack."

" Not to mention we haven't reported in to HQ since we landed here," Varl added.

" Plus I'd like to find out who the pilot of that Gyriq was," Vicati said suddenly." He save me from being captured." Her Grave turned to the pile of wreckages that were once war machines carrying allies and enemies, but now lay dead.

Athan raised his Grave thumb." You'll have plenty time for that. Lets go 4th Squad, we have work to do and not enough time to do it in."


	8. Chapter 7

**Mobile Suit Gundam: Vanguard Blitz**

**Chapter 7**

With an expulsion of contained hot air, creaking of its freshly lubricated joints; the newly improved and upgraded **_Arvus_ **class landbattleship **_Tera Cias_** of the **Lucan Freedom Alliance**; formly of the **Republic of Lucan Army**, settle on the ground less than a meter from the base of a hill, with a shudder that ripple through its composite frame it came to a complete stop.

Belowdecks, General Malik.T.Velaz ignored the grins and hasty salutes of his soldiers running to and fro in the passageways in haste as preparations for the upcoming operation continued; opting to instead, to take the time to shake hands with officers and tapping the shoulders of NCOs as he walked down one of the two landbattleship's two central passageways.Ducking deftly through a dozen sand and watertight hatches and knee-knockers, evading piles of cargo containers that were still lined along the passageways as he continued on his course.

The _**Tera Cias**_ is a veritable mobile base of modern warfare.Two hundred and thirty meters long, with a bridge towering ten stories above the ground, the** Arvus** class was once by far the largest and heaviest moving object on land, weighing in at forty-seven thousand tons, with a full compliment of four APCs and eight MBTs.Despite its mammoth girth, the ship was fast. Its old hovering-type propulsion systems which were once powered by three minovsky ultra-compact fusion reactors, had been removed and the Tera Cias was upgraded to four minovsky ultra-compact fusion reactors and three minovsky craft systems, allowing the landbattleship to creat an I-field cushion between the underside of the ship and the ground, yielding a gravity-countering buoyancy that left the ship hovering fifty meters above the ground, eight rocket thrusters drive the ship at a cruising speed of 180 km/h, nearly twice as fast as its previous engines.

Its primary offensive weapons had been improved and upgraded, the older two triple-barrel forward 140mm main cannons had been switched to a newer two triple-barrel 155mm main cannons, with a vastly superior firing control system, a single dual barrel 155mm secondary cannon covered its rear.But the newest addition was the ' flattops', design to hold four mobile suits atop its hull for additional offensive fire-power, its aft hanger deck had been re-designed and improved to carry six mobile suits in place of the MBTs and APCs.

The landbattleship's defensive weaponry included two six-round SAM launchers, twenty-four smoke/chaff/flare dispensers, a starboard and portside Vulcan Firefly close-in-weapon-system; upgraded from its original role as an anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense battery, to include an anti-mobile suit defense system. The Vulcan Firefly was a rapid-fire gatling gun capable of shooting nine hundred rounds per minute of 20mm ammunitions.

**_The Republic of Lucan_** once operated and maintained twelve ( one for each combat brigade) of the normal type Arvus class-land battleship, serving as the primary flag ships for high officials and high ranking officers, but now there was only one Arvus class landbattleship remaining, now in service as the LFAs Tera Cias base and serving as the 1st Erin Sol Brigade's mobile Command Center.

General Velaz turned sharply around the final corner of his journey, immediately spotting Sergeant Rokam Erson; his personal body-guard and the only NCO to have more clout than half of the Captains under Velaz command, and was directly responsible for training Velaz's Special Escort Force( SEF); all of whose members were carefully selected, a former graduate of Ratheon Institute and had no less than one hundred hours of actual combat with a mobile suit, standing guard outside the tactical operations center, or TOC, in the same spot Velaz had left him two hours early.

On spotting the General Erson snapped a crisp salute." General."

" Rokam, is everyone that's suppose to be here inside?" Velaz asked coming to a brisk stop in front of Erson.

The NCO nodded in the midst of his brown eyes shifting right and left; as if expecting a direct threat to the General from both directions any second now, before answering." Yes, sir. The CO of the 5th Tank Battalion and the CO of the 3rd Battalion along with there XOs are inside awaiting your arrival."

Velaz nodded, then moved into position in front of the sliding aluminum sheet door, which Erson quickly opened by tapping the side switch." No one beside Errot is to get within ten feet outside this door, if for no other reason than to report an update on the 4th Battalion and whats going on at the Vesti river."

" I'm on it sir, not even my dear old mother's getting near this door."

Considering Erson's current reputation as the General personal bulldog, Velaz had no doubt that the dark skin, dark haired, six foot one inch tall thirty-two year old would prevent even his mother from hearing what was about to be said inside.

The sound in the room dropped below a whisper the moment Velaz stepped inside.Both Executive Officers that only moments ago were busily updating and preparing their maps and charts for the briefing stopped.Both Battalion commanding officers that were seated next to each other talking and joking earlier, suddenly stopped and turn to face Velaz.

" Colonel Neral, your looking splendid as ever," Velaz began, mostly to loosen the dull mood in the room." How long has it been since we've actually seen each other face to face."

Colonel Renee Neral, CO of the 3rd Battalion in full military attire rosed to her feet and shook the hand that was stretched to her." Almost three years if memory serves me, General."

" How many times do I have to order you to call me Malik," Velaz said with a smile that could melt ice, turning to the 5th Tank Battalion CO, as the XOs took their seat." Colonel Lotus, heard you've been busy making life a living hell for that Guild garrison at Mt.Gelp."

Like a jack in the box, Colonel Alou Lotus CO of the 5th Tank Battalion sprung out of his seat, briefly shook hands with the General, who had advanced within arms reach. " Just keeping my boys busy and the Guild scared shitless as usual, General Velaz."

" I might have to put the both of you up for insubordination if you don't start calling me Malik," Velaz chuckle softly taking his seat." How's your people holding up, we haven't had a get together like this in years."

Neral took her seat." Getting in some much needed maintenace to our tank and mobile suit forces, not to mention a full re-supply of our fuel reserves.Some of my company commanders was so low on fuel, they had to push their tanks this far west on empty."

" But I'm shock you brought out Tera Cias base for this, I'll take a wild guess an assume two battalions not good enough to complete this operation," Lotus said, placing both elbows on the table and knuckles under his chin.

Under normal circumstances, Velaz didn't like to bother his sudordinate commanders when they were getting ready to start a major operation, it made for an unnecessary distraction.That was why he made sure that he had good people working for him and issued clear concise orders and directives." The rest," he liked to tell people," was in their hands and faith's."This operation, secretly referred to as _**Velaz's Return**_, was anything but a normal operation.Though it was planned and briefed to everyone in the same manners as a purely military operation, it was not.For the very first time ever, the LFA would be taking the fight directly into the heart of the enemy, which included populated areas, a major difference in all their previous battles.The intricate civil-military relationships that were woven into the entire fabric of the 1st Erin Sol Brigade and the Lucan populated areas that they would be moving through touched every aspect of the operations, both planned and potential.

Some commanders voiced strong reservations about the rules of engagement impose by Velaz.The Commander of the 4th Tank Battalion had on several occasions pushed Velaz to soften his order restricting the use of artillery fire to only confirmed enemy locations that were near a populated area.Every chance he got, Velaz would remind his commanders that." We as an army deemed as terrorist by the Guild and Lucan Interim Government must think twice and four times before we pulled the trigger.Otherwise we're going to end up having a huge casualty list of our own citizens and not our enemies, which our enemies will greatly take pleasure in as it fuels their propaganda machines, not to mention we don't have the resources to go about using our limited firepower indiscriminately."

As Velaz mind deliberated silently for his reasons for his using Tera Cias base at such an early stage in the operation; there was a knock at the door breaking his train of thought; followed by Errot walking in.Without a word, he moved to the empty seat closest to Velaz.Now they could began.

Slowly, Velaz rosed from his chair and walked over to the highlighted map on the far wall showing most of Lucan.He made a show of studying it before slowly turning to face the officers seated before him.With his feet spread shoulder width apart, his left hand on his hip, and using his right index finger to point at the map, Velaz began." It is 97 kilometers from our present location to Unterrem, our fourth largest city.That, for those of you now used to thinking as civilians translates to 60 miles.But before we can get to Unterrem, we must first pass the town of Arnes, which is currently occupied by a Guild Mechanized-Rifle Battalion. Colonel Neral and her 3rd Battalion's primary job is to take Arnes as quickly as possible and move on to take control of the high grounds fifteen kilometers further southwest, before Unterrem can send reinforcements.If the 3rd fails to take Arnes, we'll get stuck in a lengthy, very costly engagement we cannot hope to win."

When he was sure that everyone had sufficient opportunity to think about what he had just said, Velaz continued." This operation will be a team effort, one in which everyone must work together if we're to succeed." You've had time to read the operation's plan, you know your objectives, you know the enemy and their numbers. The question I'm putting forth is, can we take Arnes in the allotted time?"

Colonel Lotus was the first to speak as Velaz had expected." This operation won't be like ambushing a Guild patrol, blowing up a bridge or come anywhere near the hit and run strikes we do on the 29th Terresterial Fleet outter defense perimeter.This is a full blown engagement without the stops or the option to retreat.Can we take Arnes in less than six hours, yes, but can we take Unterrem with just two battalions, impossible, there's an entire Guards Regiment station in Unterrem, add the units in Arnes that's three MRBs."

" Not to mention the 29th Terrestrial fleet to our northern flanks and who knows how many Guild units are within reach of Unterrem right across the border in Deikumia to the south," Neral added immediately." This operations depends on time more than anything, we get stuck in one position longer than this plan calls for, then we're screwed from three sides.I'd feel alot better knowing we have a third battalion covering our ass."

Errrot rosed to his feet, drawing attention to himself, a sheet of paper in his left hand, and at a nod from Velaz." This information is as classified as it gets and doesn't leave this room. Elements of the 1st and 4th Battalions are moving into position to keep the 29th Terrestrial fleet at bay, should the 29th began to move once our operation commences.The 1st and 4th operation time is thirty-six hours. As for the south, elements of the 2nd battalion have already eliminated more than eighty percent of the primary routes the Guild would need to traverse back into Lucan through Deikumia.In fact at this very moment those elements are in place to stop any advancing Guild unit quickly and immediately.The only units we need concern about is those at Unterrem."

Errot took his seat, shifting through several additional papers on the table before him, Lotus stared at him a moment." Whose the unlucky sonofabitch to draw that assignment."

Errot looked up, before Velaz could part his lips to respond." Captain Icina Phollia of Alpha Company."

Lotus stares at the ceiling in dis-belief and whistles in mid-air, then turn to Velaz with confusion written all over his face." That new captain we've been hearing about.Can she pull something like this off, I mean keep the Guild in Deikumia off our backs long enough for us to take Arnes and move into Unterrem."

Velaz smile his ever knowing smiled." She can handle it."

Neral nodded, she knew full well not to push for details, even though a part of her mind was gnawing for more information; regardless of their common goal, units in the LFA operated independently of each other, each company with its own operational areas, communication codes, hidden bases and supply points, whose exact wereabouts was not known even to their parent battalion, all in the name of secrecy and dis-information.To assemble her entire battalion in a single area, it had taken two full days of communications back and forth.But sometimes word still manage to find there way through the companys ranks about what one company in another battalion had accomplish, and Captain Icina Phollia had made quite the reputation for operating in areas other LFA units wouldn't dream of being in and accomplishing goals that kept many a soldier up at night wondering how it had been done, both LFA and Guild.

The fact that Phollia was female, made Neral wanting to meet Phollia face to face even more, not only to stare at another female officer raising in the ranks, but to confirmed a rumor that had been bothering her ever since the existence of Icina Phollia had been known.

" When do we began." Lotus was saying.

" Its depends on the Guild units in Deikumia, the moment they've engage elements of the 2nd battalion, I expect Colonel Neral and her 3rd Battalion to move towards Arnes within thirty minutes."

Colonel Neral rosed immediately." I know my part of the plan, I'd like the time to properly review the operation plans and inform my company commanders that we've been selected to open a new asshole for the Guild as soon as possible." Turning to Lotus." Colonel, just make sure your boys are ready to move to Unterrem once my people have take that Guild base southwest of Arnes."

Lotus grinned as he to rosed to his feet." Clear the way for us and we'll handle the rest, my tank commanders have been itching to try-out our new tanks against mobile suits tactics in a major engagement, its works perfectly in those minor skirmishes."

With a nodded from Velaz, both Colonels saluted and headed for the door, their XOs hot on their tails carrying the briefs and maps.

Velaz watched as the room slowly emptied, until only Errot remained." Do we know what's happening at the Vesti river."

Errot flipped through a sheet." Nothing's come in as yet, but we'll know if something does happen within fifteen minutes of its actually happening."

" Find a way to reduce that time limit to within ten minutes or less. What about Kalaro Isles, any news about that country," Velaz said, turning to the map, shifting his right index finger to follow the path the 3rd battalion will take.

" Nothing from there about the Guild operations or if any landing operation currently in progress for that matter...but Fork Point did confirmed that Athan Cohoris, the CO of 4th Squad, Beta Company, 3rd Battalion did make contact with them from Kalaro Isles Fort Nirka's base less than an hour ago," Errot shifted through another sheet of paper." The full report is still in the works, but from what I've got, they launched an attack across the Guild border, manage to escape to the freighter, made it as far as Kalaro Isles before they were attack by fighters; the freighter's sunk in Kalaro's BolZie harbour by the way, Fork Point's not to happy about that one. 4th Squad was attack once again at BolZie harbour by a squadron made up of navy Lupos Stratus and fighters, somehow manage to survive that as well and as of two hours ago, are safely tucked away at Fort Nirka.This part you might find very interesting, they have confirmation about a new type of Guild mobile suit, looks and flies better than an AMF- but operates on a ground level that surpasses even a Lupus S...

As Errot spoke Velaz mind wandered aimlessly, the information about the attack on the freighter and its consequential sinking, along with the information about the attack on BolZie harbour was new information indeed.But he already knew about the existence of the TMS-19 series months ago, thanks to Aragon hard-work and fact searching mission.Velaz knew more than he inform his staff, in fact none knew of the existence of Aragon and he had every intention of keeping it that way.

Over the past few months, his main source of intel had given him enough information; without him having the need ( or abilty to confirm) the bits and pieces to get an ideal picture about the ongoing affairs in Guild country.He knew first hand the Guild was having a shortage of helium -3 gas and tetra ore, which of course made little sense, the three tetra ore mines in Lucan were alone supplying the Guild with more than 400 million metric tons of tetra ore per year.Whilst the two manufacturing plants inside the space station Yulva 3 in high orbit; was working three shifts producing helium -3 gas; if his intel was correct and he had no reason to believe otherwise, was shipping 130 million tons of helium -3 gas per year to the Guild Socialist Ministry.More than ten times more than the Guild would need to operate at war levels, so why was it the Guild was having a shortage of something they clearly should have a surplus amount of.What were they doing with such huge supplies of tetra ores and helium -3 gas, and more importantly how could he take advantage of this. Aragon didn't know, or simply refuse to say.

Velaz sighed loudly and turned to face Errot." Find out what's happening on those two fronts and find out if Fork Point can recover our wayward team before the Guild turn Kalaro Isles into battlefield."

Errot saluted and marched out the door as Velaz turned towards the map, there was to many things out of place, and Velaz knew from experience that that spelled trouble, but for who.Velaz shrugged in the empty room, things could be worst; at least the Guild had no idea _**Galaga Heavy Industries**_ was responsible for manufacturing the parts and weapons for the ERS-06 series and that assembly took place at Fork Point, before they were shipped to a top-secret location in the_** Gia Heights**_ region that only four members of the LFA chain of command had direct knowledge of its whereabouts.

Velaz finger stopped over a red mark indicating the town of Arnes, and suddenly something occurred to him and a smile arc on his lips as he turn to face the door." Sergeant Erson, assemble a unit from the special escort force, I have a mission in mind I want carried out immediately."

l

Colonel Nevano Tional hoped his uniform was properly arranged.Its was exactly 0800 by his wristwatch, and he'd been up since six rehearsing, reviewing and double checking his report for the meeting with members of the NSC, and silently cursing the General Secretary for calling an early meeting; who undoubtly wanted to spend the rest of the afternoon with some expensive call girl and then a round of golf, while the nation was at war. Before boarding the helo, Tional spent his spare moments sifting through endless intel documents on half a dozen known rebel groups to arm militias who had the resources to carry out such an attack inside the Guild border; then switching to satellite reconnaissance photographs of their known hideouts and then reading the copies of the Guild Socialist Ministry's publications in his office before embarking on his briefing trip.

The flight was fast, smoother and shorter thanks to the new and improve EV-04CU helicopter, and Tional walked into the NSC briefing room head held high; after half a dozen security checks and feeling as if his skin had been split and stitched up after a piece had been cut out, so it all fit tight.He even felt a slight tremor in his fingers, from the tension, fatigue and most importantly fear; yet he felt entirely confident and ready; he doubt Major Suran Quito, who had accompanied him along felt even half as ready.Tional had his hat ( white) tucked under his left arm, his ribbons marching down his chest over his heart.

Maj. Quito was directly behind him at all times, hot on his heels, black briefcase in his right hand and fear evidently all over his face.A pair of EZG security guards stopped them half-way towards the main door." Yes ?" they challenged in unison.

" Colonel Nevano Malcon Tional, responding to a summon from the NSC," he frowned, wondering to himself what was the hold-up.

One wearing a Lieutenant tab glanced at a plastic covered sheet of paper." Stand over there.When the Secretary General summons you, stand at the center of the circle by the mircophone and start right away; things are getting hectic around here, so don't try to charm them, ok?"The same Lieutenant glanced back at an older man wearing a General tabs holding a pile of papers and shouted at him to leave immediately; red-faced and head bowed, the General marched to the exit without a response.

It was not his first NSC briefing; the first time Tional had stood behind the wooden stall was nearly 3 years ago, when he had been selected to take the post as a Forward Border Patrol Guardsmen, back then he had expected lights, television cameras; there had been none of either, but there was always alot of security."_ This is it_?" He thought.Relief and disappointed mixed. _Why all the worrying.'_

After waiting for what seem like an eternity, his named was call forward at 0955 hours; taking a deep breath to calm his raving nerves, Tional walked around the seven foot high stall to stared in disbelief at what was before his eyes.

Only the five members of the NSC that made up the Defence Council was present.Tional was well verse to know that not even the full members of the NSC were privy to this decision making body.

Overseeing them at the far end of the room was a full length portrait of the Guild flag.Tional looked at the General Secretary who's eyes bored into his own, a red-eye predator with the distrustful look of a prison guard.The man who had challenged him at the door walked over to the Secretary General and whispered in the old geezer's ear, in the midst of glancing in Tional's direction.' _Damn Elite Zodiac dick suckers_!!

Glacing once to assure himself that Quito hadn't actually bolted out of sight, Tional looked in the direction of the General Secretary, ' the " young" man that many eastern countries assumed to be fully in charge, the man was even now changing things.His accession to the highest post in the NSC had been a surprised to many,Tional among them.The eastern countries once looked at him as hopefully as we once had, Tional thought.His own arrival in Reval had changed that rapidly enough.Yet another broken dream.The man had put up a happy face on years of agriculture failure now applied his superficial charm to a larger arena.He was laboring mightily--anyone in the room would admit that--but his task was an impossible one.To get here he had been force to make to many promises, to many deals with the old guard.Even the " young" men of fifty and sixty he'd added to the NSC had their own ties to former regimes.

In the NSC, as in the jungle, the only rule was survival, and for all the collective safety lay in a collective rule.Because of this the men selected for the titular post of General Secretary were not elected so much for their personal dynanism as for their experience in the Party--an organization did not reward people for standing out to distinctively from the crowd.He'd had to compromise to be in his chair, and he would have to compromise to remain there.The real power blocs were amorphous things, relationships among men, loyalties that changed with circumstances and knew only expediency.The real power lay within the NSC itself.

The NSC rules all, but the NSC was no longer the expression of one man.It had become a collection of interests represented here by the members of the NSC.Defense had its interest, and the ESF, and the EZG, and Heavy Industry, and even Agriculture.Each interest held its own brand of power, and the chief of each allied himself with others in order to secure his own place.The General Secretary would try to change this, would gradually appoint men loyal to himself to the posts that death made vacant.Would he then learn, as his predecessors had, that loyalty so easily died around this table? For now, he still carried the burden of his own compromises.With his own men not fully in place, the General Secretary was only the foremost member of a group that could unseat him as easily as it had seated him.What would the other countries say if they learned that the " dynamic" General Secretary mainly served as executor for the decisions of others? Even now he did not dare speak first.

" Comrades" began the Defense Minister." The Guild Socialist Ministry was brutally attacked inside our very own border less than twenty hours ago.Colonel, tell us why is it, that your border guard post fail to prevent such an attack, which was within your sector of control.Explain to us, how is it you fail to protect, your country as was your sworn duty."

Tional exhaled deeply, and laid it out for them as if he was briefing a roomful of enlisted personnel-- no bullshit, no big words, no pondering and as little military term as he could put in.He came out within thirty seconds of his best rehearsal record, and with a summary that coul not be construed as a warning but that put his serious reservations in one neat little package: lack of proper military equipment ( meaning adequate amount of mobile suits), trained personnel ( meaning mobile suit pilots), and proper surveillance aircrafts ( meaning EWACs).Then he said thank you, saluted, and waited for judgement followed by a timely arrest.

The Defense Minister fixed him with a death warning glare." An entire battalion at your command and you still couldn't prevent an intrusion into our border and now your standing there Colonel, telling this council you lack the personnel and equipment to carry out your duty."

" Yes, sir.This intrusion was carried out by a very well trained and highly organized unit.Even my liaison Major Guile of the Elite Syber Force; one of the very best pilot our military has to offer, led a unit in pursuit and fell victim to this unit.If a Major in the Elites could not stand-up against such a unit while piloting one of our most advance machine, how is it our lesser trained pilots could hope to engage and survive against such tactical minds, operating inferior military equipments," Tional smiled inside, at his sudden change in tactics.It was high time the ESF got notability for having one of their very own full victim to simple a border clash.

Their was a shifting of heads across the table as the Defense Council shared glances; turning his head slightly to the left of the room, Tional was surprise to see a ESF Colonel in the far corner, staring daggers at him and he quickly shifted his gazed back towards the Defense Council. Aimlessly wondering if this had been a smart move on his part, to redicule the ESF was to redicule the NSC itself, his father had thought that to him from his days on sitting on the former tank commander's knee.

" You also reported that you located a freighter in which our attackers took refuge after this dearing assault," the Foreign Minister asked suddenly.

" Yessir, the freighter's is register to the nation of Kazan," Tional replied, silently glad for the change of topic.

" So there's a possibility that Kazan was responsible for this attacks."

" Yes, sir. Even if they only provided the transportation for those mobile suits, the evidence is still there, that Kazan was no doubt aiding and abidding an act of terrorism against the Guild Socialist Ministry and aided the attackers in their escape."

" An where is this freighter now," the General Secretary finally asked.

" After my pilots fail to destroy it, but also left it heavily damaged it took refuge in the island nation of Kalaro._Where it probably was sunked intentionally, along with any proof it held_." Tional thought.

The General Secretary, Foreign Minister, Interior Minister and Agriculture Minister shared a willful glanced, before the General Secretary return his gazed to Tional.He got a lecture on quagmires, elves, unicorns and no-win situations, and Tional suddenly felt for the first time the ancient saying about the messenger and the messenge.The General Secretary then moved into an area that Tional knew was classified, and the Defense Minister nearly put his hand over the General Secretary's mouth.He listened for a few seconds and stared at Tional with what seemed to be pure hatred." Briefing's over," he said sullenly.Tional opened his mouth in surprised, glanced in the direction of the ESF Colonel, and to his astonishment, he pumped Tional a thumbs up before vacating the room through the main entrance.

The Defense Council whispered amongst themselves for several tense minutes, before the Interior Minister turned to face Tional and spoke." Colonel Nevano Tional, it is by this Council we find you guilty on charges of failing to protect the state." Tional heart sunk and his chest suddenly became very heavy; a charge as this still carried the death penalty.After all he had said, he was still a dead man."But you have proven yourself an able commander, and your current post seem to be a waste of such rare talents, and we are in need of such taents, so as of today you are hereby removed from your position as commander of the Forward Border Patrol Guards Outpost, with a new position pending the formal decision of this council."

Tional stood erected.What was this, what was he saying? He struggled to keep his face impassive, while his hope of survival slowly began to rise as the Interior Minister continued.

" Indeed, it would be best to place you where your talents could best serve the state.Only a wise commander, loyal to his country and not afraid of the consequence of his action would pursue an enemy across the ocean, when others would simply cower."

The General Secretary shifted his attention to the Defense Minister, with a look of detest that Tional did not fail to miss, before turning to face Tional." Good brief Colonel, you'll recieve your new orders in due course, your dismiss."

Tional took his cue and left. Quito tucked his notes in the leather briefcase, and felled in step behind Tional, and they walked out to his assigned car.A staff sergeant held the door open when a voice inside called out.

" Colonel Tional, may I ride with you? It would seemed my car has broken down." It was the Elite Syber Force Colonel in the briefing room who had given him the thumbs up sign and left early." Both of you, please get in, we have long trip and so much to discuss, but very little time, Colonel.

I

Rear Admiral Fayle El Virion, Commanding Admiral of the Guild Navy _5th Task Force_; also known as the _**Buchus battle group**_, solemnly turned his chair on the Admiral's bridge of the carrier Buchus toward the battle staff area of the compartment.Within the Admiral's bridge, one deck down from the main bridge but still able to view all of the above deck activities on the ship, Admiral El Virion and his staff could monitor all of the ship's radio and intercom transmission, and if he so choose, interject his own commands directly into the system, even to aircraft flight or nearby ships, bypassing all other commanders orders, exactly as he had done earlier after receiving a direct request from CinCNF.

Now that simple request; which he could have easily refuse, may have been the greatest mistake he had ever undertaken as a military commander.Not only had the mission failed miserably, but he had suffered his first war casualty in an otherwise near perfect operation. Now, while he could dutifully explained the loss of a few Lupos Stratuses and Ra Laspers on an unsanction NSC mission, he would be hardpress to explain how he had lost one of the primary landing zone, once landing operation began.

' _Which is less than four hours away,"_ El Virion thought sourly as he stared at the formal form that the chief of staff, Brigadier General Ammad Aldeno had handed him just a few moments ago.' _Why couldn't the Defense Council given the go ahead to began landing operations a day ago_."

Virion had immense power for a relatively young man. He'd joined the Guild navy after a life of petty thiefing, armed robbery and had risen swiftly through the ranks, commanding larger and larger forces and shock troops.Now he was the fifth highest ranking officer in the navy, and had been honored over all other sea admirals when he had been awarded command of the 5th Task Force--nearly nine thousand commandos, infantrymen, pilots, and other highly trained specialist stretched aboard thirteen warships; from the missiles frigates to the mighty aircraft carrier Buchus.

Virion's battle staff was a mirror image of the ship's captain's own, and they were assembled in the admiral's bridge now, monitoring all essential ship's departments and reporting directly to General Aldeno, who in turn reported to him.

Virion glanced towards Aldeno, who now stood behind him awaiting his commands." We've just receive the go ahead for Operation Blue Spear, we're to began landing troops on Kalaro Isles at exactly 1500 hours today."

Aldeno turned towards the battle staff, before replying." In broad daylight, they'll see our landing ships coming from miles away.Plus there's the unconfirm report of troop movement at BolZie harbour, that harbour is vital to our landing force."

" There's still a window of three hours, more than enough time to regain the mission initiative," said Virion as turned to face the open sea.It was a clear afternoon sky, less than two-tenths high clouds--and no precip.Last weather report indicated surface winds west to southwest at fifteen to eighteen knots. _'Perfect weather for an invasion_," Virion thought.

Shifting his gazed slightly to the right, stopping on the Oris-class missile cruiser Ormatoga, the warship was staying close to the carrier as always, cutting through the five-foot seas, white and gray-painted missiles visible on her twin launchers.Her older class sisters, the Ora-class missile cruisers deemed technologically inferior and to old to provide adequate defence to an air-craft carrier, were recently re-designed, upgraded and commission as a mobile suit base; the twin missile launcher had been removed and replaced with two vertical catapults allowing the new Ora-class to launched two AMF- class mobile suits.The internal bulkhead had been removed as well as her eighty-missile magazine tube in order to make room for a hanger space large enough to carry and maintain six mobile suits.

Somewhere inside one of those two ships, Virion knew Captain Raden Artina, was seething in anger; more in failing his mission done at the loss of five of his pilots. "Find out whats at BolZie, then remove it.We have less than three hours to clean up the forces gathering there."

" Yes, sir, I'll send one of our best officers to handle it." As Aldeno walked to the operations center, Virion leaned back into his chair.' _We've taken to long to send ground troops in, the_ _Kalaroians are gaining momentum and fast, while our troops have gotten careless and sloppy_.It was the only conclusion he had came after reading Captain Artina's report.Five Lupos Stratuses and three Ra Laspers lossed in a single sortie, it had to be carelessness in the part of the pilots.But deep down he wondered if it had anything to do with those three new suits that supposedly had been shipped to Kalaro isles in that freighter.

l

Kailyn's eyes watched as a pair of tech specialists moved here and there over his mobile suit.He still hadn't fully claimed the notion that the **Gizen (r)** was his official mobile suit; but after his brief piloting of the GTS-04 Gyriq, he had known then that the TMS-19B was essentially the only mobile suit at the base that could not only respond and but also keep up with his rapid commands.

The **Gyriq** had litterly been sluggish at his command, its lock-on to fire control system had been slow; he had notice the difference almost immediately once stepping outside the hanger on his way to BolZie, but had assumed he could compensate for its poor performance with his skills; that unfortunate mistake; one that he had no intention of repeating ( he had been train to well for a simple mistake as that), could have cost him his life, had that Lupos Commander Type's pilot had pushed the attack in the beginning rather than remain on the defensive. Until the pilot had been force to withdraw due to superior numbers, he had merely kept it at bay.

Kailyn also knew deep down his skills had improved, in fact he was a far better pilot now than he had been fourteen months ago; which of course was confusing as hell, he hadn't pilot or went anywhere near a mobile suit in thirteen months, that many months without access to a mobile suit should have lessen his skills, but it hadn't._Why was that_.

Nevertheless, he would still have to get stronger and become a better pilot; even now, he was nowhere near her or his level of piloting skills.He had been taught to killed without remorse, that part of his mental training had been installed into his brain before he had ever sit foot on the soil of Kalaro Isles, ten years before entering Ratheon Institutes halls; but not until the Latana plains, had he had actually taken a life; and it had felt damn good watching those Covera Ars vanish into a ball of flames before his very eyes; if only it had been that brunnett haired Guild bitch in the Lupus X.

She was the sole reason for his returning to Kalaro Isles and downing on the military pilot's black light-weight exterior battle skeleton flight suit; he glanced down at the black boots; it had fitted prefectly, he had also been issued his second serrated combat knife; he had no idea where the first was; which of course was now tucked into the boots, a second one in a shealth on his back waist, just above his 9mm handgun.Until he personally buried that bitch, he would make hell on Genesis for the Guild Socialist Ministry and anyone that wore their military uniform, regarless of military branches.

_Kill your target today or he'll come back and kill you later, those are your only choices_." Annita Straken's words then had left a rubber taste in his mouth, now they were more of a motto. _Kill_ _or be Kill."_

Hearing foot-steps behind him, Kailyn tilted his head ever so slightly and watched as Wilisk moved into position beside him, holding a requisition form his right hand, before turning his attention back to the two tech specialists." Its 1115 hours, you said this mobile suit would be ready at 0900 hours."

Wilisk scratched his unshaven chin with his left hand." Its been near impossible to find weapons for this suit.Luckily for you, after some hardwork and two hours of digging, we've found just the thing and their a perfect fit.Just taking bit longer to equip them I guess."

Wilisk led him forward a few paces and continued." The secondary weapon's been removed, no ammo if you recall. We've replace her with a real beauty, an MR/AR-X90 Juri, its an expiremental 60mm highly percision rifle, originally developed by Ratheon for the RMX-01 Gaiser which was a proto-type in development at the time and never made it to the production lines sadly to say.Those were the suits you would have eventually piloted, if things hadn't gone the way they did, and they happen to be the father of the GTS-04 Gyriqs used by the Foundation, the ERS-06B Graves used by the Lucan Freedom Alliance and the KMS-08D Vilgerion currently in production for the Kazan Ground Defense Force."

Kailyn stopped a meter away from the Gizen's left feet and turned to stare at Wilisk in dis-belief." I'd heard the rumors that the institute was in a joint venture with the Foundation to secretly develope a mobile suit more advance than the TMS-17Ss, but I never thought there was any truth to it."

Wilish tapped the Gizen (r) feet until he got the attention of one of the technician specialists above their heads and beckon him down." There was alot more going at Ratheon than just training mobile suit pilots I assure you. Kazan and the northern country of Ragua was also part of the joint-venture."

Kailyn eye-brows narrowed." I've piloted Gyriqs and I've seen those Graves in battle.' Wilisk turned to him suddenly, giving him a questioning look, Kailyn shrugged." The one with the right arm missing, I did that back in the Latana plains after the pilot nearly pop me one with a bazooka round. The pilot's lucky as well. If it weren't for those Guild Covera Kis, I'd have killed her."

Wilisk turned away and said." Oh, I see."

" Don't worry, that pilot is of no interest to me. Now back to my question, if their both designed from the Gaiser, why is it that the Gyriq, is barely in league with a TMS-17B, but those Graves are at least in par with a TMS-17J Lupus S.That's a major performance gap," Kailyn asked, moving out of the path of the tech specialist as he touched down from his climb.

"Simply put the Foundation, couldn't wait.They requested all information on the Gaiser less than a month after testing began, the end result was the Gyriq.Four months later the LFA got their data, as you can see it was vastly improved by then.Luckily Kazan recieve all their data forty-eight hours before Ratheon became a smoldering ruin along with everything inside; seven months after testing and at the end of your training." Wilisk turned turn to the tech specialist." What's the hold-up, I ordered this mobile suit ready by 0930 hours."

The Tech specialist looked back up at the Gizen (r) and then to Wilisk."Just needed a minor cailbration to the weapons, that we only just finished a few minutes ago, sir."

That was all Kailyn needed to hear, taking a stride towards the legs of the Gizen (r), he stopped in the midst of his hands raising to began climbing up and turn around." You were saying something about a rifle, a Juri right."

Wilisk looked confused for a few seconds and his eyes lit up." Ahh, yes.The Juri, its a 60mm rifle that fires a single armor-piercing, incendiary round with precision.Twenty rounds per clip, semi-automatic and automatic firing switch.What makes this weapon so unique is its sophisticated computerized firing system, which is built into the gun's butt stoke and feeds directly into the gun's advanced combat digital/optical gunsights or ACDOG.The recoil was to much for a Gyriq to handle, wrecked havoc with its targeting system, not to mention its arm needed special maintenance after just one clip."

_What kind of coffee is he drinking_. "Sounds perfect, armor-penetration depth," Kailyn asked looking the Gizen (r) over, the tech specialist, face was suddenly going pale.The more weapons the Gizen (r) had access to, so much the better.

" Fifty-six millimeters thick, at a range of three hundred and twenty meters distance. Off the record, the original tests was shown it could penetrate through sixty-two millimeters of armor in some cases, we never did got around to confirming that."

" Fifty-six millimeters is more than enough to take down a mobile suit, what's the targeting range inside a non-minovsky environment."

" Performance remains at ninety percent and as far as three hundred and ninety meters in a high density minovsky particle area," Wilisk answered with a know-it-all smirked.

Kailyn looked the Gizen (r) over and moved into a position to stare at the left legs upper knee joint and stare in dis-belief." Ok, I'm no gun expert, but I know enough to get by, now that sure looks like a TAU-21C 40mm gatling gun, the one those Lupos Stratus carry around."

" What are you talking about," Wilisk walked around the Gizen (r) to see for himself and turned to the tech specialist whose eyes were bulging." Explain this."

" Well you see sir, your orders where to get this suit armed and combat ready by 0900 hours," the tech specialist turn to the Gizen (r)." But this is new hardware, even to us. Only seven Juris where found, they seemed to have just been thrown inside the Armoury, the guys are cannibalizing the parts of the worst ones to repair the others.At best we can get two or maybe three working Juris."

Wilisk open and closed his mouth, but not a word escape and simply sighed." How long."

" Three hours, maybe four, But we did added the Twin Seraph heat blades like you asked," the tech specialist said quickly pointing at a heat weapon on the right side hip." The second one will be in the shield along with the clips for the Juri.They maybe a meter and a half shorter than that heat sword, but the core temperature is much higher."

" He can read the manual about them. You have two hours to get this mobile suit a Juri," Wilisk said with a no nonsense glare, before turning to Kailyn." We'll have this sorted out in two hours or else."

Kailyn gived a shrug of who-gives-a-fuck and climbed the knee joint to the cockpit, it was warmed up, activated and all the systems pre-flight checks had been done.He simply strapped himself into the seat, slapped his helmet on his head and closed the hatch to the world outside for a few seconds as the camera replaced the view.

With a thumbs up sign the mobile suit mimic perfectly, Kailyn marched the Gizen (r) outside the hanger, once his launched path was clear, he launched the Gizen (r) into the air without confirring with the Tower.It had been sixteen hours since he'd last been inside the Gizen (r) cockpit and felt the familiar rush of an electrical surge pulsing through-out his body and the sudden feeling of being press against the seat at its acceleration.

' _Time to see what this baby can really do,_'

l

Standing by his office window, hands clasped behind his back, Colonel Veoha watched the Gizen ( r) twist, turned in a tight loop at a speed a fighter could never accomplished and backflip in a mid-air style maneuver with a smile on his face, before it vanished out of his sight.He was happy, his orders had prevented that same machine from being dis-assemble just hours after its arrival and now it was part of his defence force.

But one new machine couldn't win a war, and sooner or later without access to crucial spare parts, it will become another useless piece of junk.He sighed inwardly, wondering why the Guild was so interested in Kalaro Isles, beside's its strategic location, Kalaro isles had no valuable resources of significant quantities even worth mentioning.

He turned to face the two men and young lady in his office, standing boldly at attention.Their country had been invaded and conquered, and yet they continue to fight against impossible odds.Is this what awaits Kalaro isles, even now under constant air attacks, the government was trying a diplomatic solution with the Guild government through the embassies that both still maintain in Kazan.But those talks were going nowhere, the Guild wanted nothing short of Kalaro Isles complete surrender and disarmament.Like hell we'll surrender.

" At ease, your not part of our military so try to relaxed," Veoha said, taking his seat.

" Sir, I would like to take this time to personally thank you on behalf of myself and my team, for not only saving our lives, but granting us access to your military base, and for the useage of your communications network," Athan said.

" Where you able to make contact with your people."

" Yes, sir. But it will take some time to arrange a transport to retrieved us and our mobile suits, but until then...

" So you want a place to lay low until that time arise.After the beaten you've given those Guild units this morning, I would be foolish not to grant you permission and access to our top technicians and mechanics to get your mobile suits combat ready as soon a possible," Veoha said, leaning back against his chair.

" We can't take all the credit, if your reinforcements had arrived just a minute later," Athan said turning to Vicati, who immediately lowered her gazed." We wouldn't be having this conversation."

" We're at war with the Guild, its only natural we send our forces to where the Guild may lay siege.But enough about that, what exactly where you doing on board that freighter, your a long way from Lucan aren't you," Veoha asked, leaning forward, his eyes locked on Athan, determine to catch the hint of any kind of deception.

" I can't answer that, not until I've recieve orders to do so.But I would like to know what happen to the crew that was with us, especially the technicians."

" They were flown out an hour ago with some refugees, they should be in Kazan air-space within the hour." Veoha shrugged and rosed to his feet." As for your mobile suits, they're in Hanger Three, that and the base cafeteria are the only location you have access to. Until your transport arrives, try to remain out of our way, we have enough problem as it is."

" What if this base is attack before our transport arrives, the Guild are hell bent on taking us out," Athan asked." We being here could very well speed up their invasion plans."

" Then I suggest you used your better judgement, this is my home, my country and I have sworn an oath to defend her from outside forces as well as within," Veoha waved at the door with one hand." Now if you please, I have a base to run and you have your mobile suits to take care off."

Veoha waited until his guest had left before returning to the window and gazing outside.' _There hasn't been an attack against our forces at Mateuss base, not since that attack at BolZie harbour. Is this the calm before the storm."_

Turning towards his desk, Veoha flipped a switched." Get me the defense force commanders."

" Which one sir," came the immediately reply.

" All of them," he flipped the switch to OFF and sunk in his chair.

l

Stepping into the outside air, Athan wasn't sure what to feel, nothing was going right for them, the Guild had attack them at every turn and they were still a ways from getting home.He wasn't sure what to tell his team, they were screwed and there was no denying it.

" Ok, what do we do now," Varl asked, stopping in mid-stride." Fork Point says they'll send us a transport as soon as they can, but the Guild could attack any time now."

Athan glanced at his watch." First order of business, get our mobile suits repair and re-arm as soon as possible, if the Guild attacks we'll need them first of all."

" And then what, we can't stay here, their fucked and they know it.Even that commander had the look of defeat in his eyes," Vicati said stopping next to Varl, her amber eyes burning into Athan's, making him feel more like a prey at the mercy of a wild animal with there intensity, than an officer in command of his troops.

" I'll work on it, Private," Athan said turning to face his team." This isn't open for debate, getting your mobile suits combat ready should be your only concern.If your lucky you might find a spare Gyriq right arm laying around here to replace the Grave's right arm that you loss.I'll work on the transports."

Varl stepped forward." He said Hanger Three right, guess we better get to it, Vicati."

He grabbed Vicati by the arm and pulled her away, as she glared at Athan in the midst of shrieking her last protest." Remember it was your orders that landed us here in the first place and I'll be damn if your orders will get me killed out here."

" Shut up Vicati," Varl shouted, pulling her away." We've been lucky so far, just a few more hours of it and we'll be alright."

Athan watched them go without a word and then looked around Fort Nirka.For he agreed with Varl, luck had gotten them this far, and unless they're luck run out they would be leaving this place soon enough.Everything they had done up until this point, all the speeches and the pep talks, together with all the fancy maneuvers they had just done, had boil down to several hours of waiting and pure luck.

He sighed loudly and followed suit, he was losing control of his team and there was not a thing he could do about it.

l

Commander Singer Ritzs woud have disagreed violently with Athan Corhoris's reasoning that luck was an important ingredient in suriving combat operations. A tried and tru military technician by training.Ritzs was proud to the point of arrogance of his skills as a Navy aviator.Only his abilities as an operations officer, which had landed him the job as the Buchus battle group operations officer for the 205th Tactical Assault Squadron, ran a close second.From that platform Ritz preached his doctrine that good combat pilots make their own luck. Praying that the enemy will make a mistake or depending on luck, he told his squadron commanders, was for weenies.

To this end he was meticulous with his planning.Nothing was left unaccounted for--fuel required for each mission; attack routes in and egress routes out; location of primary, alternate, and subsequent battle positions; command and control procedures; engagement sequence; suppression of enemy air defense; friendly fire support; forward rearm and refuel point locations and defense--nothing.And Ritzs, unlike many of his contemporaries, had a natural skill for pulling all of these diverse elements together into a deceptively simple and coherent plan.Though he would have shunned being called an artist, for there is in fact a high degree of creativity involved when crafting a plan, few officers in the Buchus battle group could equal his skills.If there was one serious fault that Ritzs did have, it was that he knew he was good and felt no shame in making sure that everyone around him knew that too.

Today, as he and Petty Officer Kenron Orpin tracked a column of armored vehicles and trucks belonging to one of Kalaro's Isles Defence Force Brigades as they moved east along a main highway, Ritzs was again afforded the opportunity to demonstrate his skills as a military artist.Ordered to determine the size of the force gathering at BolZie harbour and if able, to attack anti-aircraft elements, delaying and disrupting their deployment.In preparing his order, Ritzs used the same words that regimental operations used when defining their mission: delay and disrupt.To these he added his own, reminding the squadron commanders that the best way to delay and disrupt the enemy was to kill them.To this end, Ritzs laid out in detail how they would do it. Working from a RH-52D, an aircraft framed that pre-dated mobile suits, Ritz deployed his units.One Lupos Stratus secured the ambush sight, east, and another north, keeping their eyes open for Kalaroian mobile suits as well as any anti-aircraft guns or surface-to-air missile launchers.If encountered before Ritzs sprung the ambush, he would decide whether to press the attack or call in an air strike and burn the entire area.If the Lupos Stratuses run across these threats after the ambush had been initiated, the Lupos Stratuses would deal with them as best they could and keep Ritzs advised.

Ritzs himself would be in a position to record and view the Lupos Stratuses as they attack.From his location he could judge the effectiveness of their fire and determine when they reached that point where a continuation of the attack became counterproductive or to costly to them.Due to the unexpected loss of five Lupos Stratuses and three Ra Laspers, their mission load had now double, so they could not afford to waste precious time and resources in pursuit of marginal gains; he would not make the same mistake Captain Artina had made; remaining in an operational area far to long until he had been mobbed, that was the conclusion Ritzs had drawn in watching the Lupos Commander Type's gun camera footage.The captain had gotten over-confident and cocky, and the end result had been a rude awakening.

Ritzs knew in most ambushes, the majority of killing is done in the first few seconds or minutes when the enemy is surprised and off balance.When, because of the actions of the enemy commanders or an inability of the attacker to maintain the pressure, the unit under attack is given time to recover from the initial shock and rally, the tables are often turned and the attacker becomes the victim.Singer Ritzs concluded from his observation of the video that that was what had happen to Raden Artina, and he had no intention of letting that happen to him, his primary job was to make sure that everyone of his unit was long gone before that happen.

With well measured ease, Kenron Orpin slowly brought his aircraft up and above the treetops until the ball-like instrument dome mounted on top of the rotor blades had a clear view of the road.With one eye he watched the trees to his front and with the other the instrument screen.Ritzs, his eyes glued to his observer's display, didn't speak.He didn't need to give Orpin directions or corrections, since the instrument dome had free rotation.Ritzs himself could traverse his sight to cover the area that he was interested in, leaving Orpin free to fly the aircraft.When Orpin reached the proper height that allowed the instrument dome to clear the last of the tree branches, Ritzs merely muttered, " Okay, that's good."

While Orpin held the helicopter steady, Ritzs scanned the road.To his front a column of armored vehicles, Zergize tanks and other vehicles, was moving east in a steady stream.Though he was interest in all of them, it was the tanklike Pardo armed with twin 60mm anti-aircraft cannons, and the tracked vehicles mounting surface-to-air missiles, that Ritzs was looking for.They would be given priority when the killing started, since they were the most effective defense against just the kind of attack that Ritzs was about to initiate.

When he found what he was looking for, he depressed the radio transmit button and called the Lupos Stratus to the east." Striker Two One, this is Striker One Five.I have a Pardo near the head of the column, three vehicles behind the lead.Over."

There was a pause while the pilot of the Lupos Stratus zoomed in and confirmed." Roger, One Five.I see 'em.I've got nothing in the middle or rear.How about you? over."

Traversing the joy stick that controlled the instrument dome, Ritzs scanned the entire length of the column a second time.When he was finished, he looked up from his sight, rubbed his eyes, and put his head back down against the brow pads of the sight again before responding." Negative.The Pardo in front is the only gun I see." He was about to say he would take out the self-propelled Pardo anti-aircraft gun but thought better of it.He was the senior officer on the scene.He needed to keep himself out of the fight, exercising command and control for as long as possible; not rushing forward endangering himself and the mission.No, the Lupos Stratus could deal with the Pardo, leaving him free to watch for other air defense systems or a mobile suit unit they might have missed while keeping an eye on the attack of the Lupos Stratuses and to assess the Kalaroian reactions.With that decided, Ritzs directed the Lupos Stratus to stand-by to fire on the Pardo while ordering the second Lupos Stratus to the north, waiting in firing position some four thousand meters away to stand by to commence firing.

When all was ready, he initiated the ambush with a simple almost casual call to the eastern Lupos Stratus." Okay, Two One, let her fly."

When he was set, the pilot of the Lupos Stratus with the call sign Two One hit the button for the laser designator in the Lupos Stratus's mono-eye in the X-shape faceplate, watched for it to illuminate the target, then fired two ASM.Once the ASM was clear of the trees and screaming in toward the Pardo, Kalaroian air guards up and down the column began to yell their warnings to their vehicle commanders, who in turn relayed the warning throughtout the column via radio.Though that warning came too late for the Pardo, whiched received Striker Two One's ASMs square on the side of the turret that housed the twin 60mm anti-aircraft guns, other vehicles began to turn away from the attack right into the sights of the waiting northern Lupos Stratus.Without any need for further orders, the Lupos Stratus kicked on its thrusters, taking flight and join the fight by launching an ASM at a Zergize tank that he had been tracking from above.

With the attack coming from the direction that the fleeing vehicles had thought was away from the danger, the surprise and choas created the desired effect. The commanders of the vehicles that survive the first volley ordered their drivers to turned their individual vehicles this way and that, to back up, or to stop and assess what was happening.The result was momentary confusion and loss of command and control.Some vehicles, their commanders and drivers trying to look in all direction at once, plowed into each other. Adding to the general confusion were clouds of smoke created when tanks fired smoke grenades in all directions.Here and there trucks ran off the road rather than be crashed by tanks wildly seeking safety as APC open their rear hatch so that the precious infantry could scramble out and seek safety on the ground rather than remain boxed up in what might soon become a death trap.During this initial confusion, when none of the surviving Kalaroian commanders could make sense out of what was going on or exert their authority, the Lupos Stratuses, having closed within range of their TAU-21C 40mm gatling gun, launched a second volley, adding to the confusion and cutting down more leaders in midstride as they tried to sort out their commands.

From afar, Ritzs watched.By now both he and Orpin were long forgotten by the Kalaroians on the road.The deadly pair of Lupos Stratuses were far too overwhelming to ignore.Though satisfied with the results of the initial strike and the confusion that reigned.Ritzs knew it would soon end.Already he could see commanders of individual Zergize tanks and IFVs turning to fight.Though the tank main-gun round was not the most effective anti-aircraft weapon, but with the low-level of minovsky particles in the area, the sophisticated computer-driven fire-control system of the Zergize, would gave them teeth that could not be ignored.Realizing that the longer he allowed the Lupos Stratuses to continue the engagement the more the Kalaroians would be able to respond.Ritzs ordered the Lupos Stratuses to fire one more volley and then break off the attack and then lifting his head from the sight and turning to Orpin." Ok, Kenron.We've done plenty of damage here.Let's head east and get a peek at what's at BolZie harbour."

With that, Kenron Orpin allowed the RH-52D to drop down a few feet before he twisted its tail boom a quarter turn with the flick of his hand holding the collective, pointed the nose of the helicopter east and right into the gunsight of the TMS-19B Gizen (r)'s handheld TAU-21C 40mm gatling gun.Kailyn seeing that his quarry was about to flee, let fly a stream of 40mm rounds at Ritzs aircraft.Though it had been a hasty shot, Kailyn's initial aim had been good enough.In a matter of a couple of seconds the crew compartment of Ritzs's helicopter was shredded by a hail of 40mm high-explosive incendiary, tracer rounds, serving to remind anyone who cared to think about what had just happen that in war even the craftiest hunter can in the twinkling of an eye become the hunted.

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He was pissed off. _Who_, Kailyn thought, _is in command of Mateuss base.A goddamn cocksucking general who get's his kicks of by sending out troops from an already broken defense line to get killed elsewhere.'_

" Shit." Kailyn swore, leveling the 40mm galing gun at first Lupos Stratus in his sights. The pilot was distracted with his current engagement and didn't detect the Gizen (r) until Kailyn was already in weapons range.

The targeting recticule beep its all to familiar sound and Kailyn trigger thirty rounds into the backpack and right arm.The twin thrusters burst into flames instantly sending the Lupos Stratus plummeting down.The Lupos Stratus exploded on impact, adding to the carnage it had only just helped created.Kailyn gritted his teeth as the increase in Gs pushed the blood flow to his feet, it was only thanks to the flight suit, he barely took noticed of it, pushing the Gizen (r) forward, then diving on the next target.The Lupos Stratus was already alerted, and attempted to increase altitude.It was to late.Kaylyn fired a pair of ASMs from a range of seven hundred meters; from the chest mounted multi-purpose launchers and watched the missiles trace all the way into the Lupos Stratus's left leg and right left wing, blasting them right off.

Kailyn reverse the Gizen (r) thrusters, pushing him back as the Lupos Stratus mono-eyes flared blue and its 40mm gatling gun continously spit poorly aimed tracer burst upwards, missing, and only serving to amused him as the Lupos Stratus was gripped by the force of gravity.The next burst from his own gatling gun exploded the right armed, along with the TAU-21C 40mm gatling gun it was holding.

Hovering above the Lupos Stratus, Kailyn watched as it crashed landed and created a furrow in the dirt as it skidded a dozen meters on the ground before coming to a stop; the pilot would either be seriously injured or unconscious from that impact, but definetly not dead; yet.Turning to the main road, he looked at the burning bulk of military vehicles; once again he had been late to save the lives of these soldiers.

Swearing inwardly, Kailyn landed the Gizen (r) on the ground next to the Lupos Stratus, with a press of a few buttons the TAU-21C was placed on its back armored waist hardpoint and the right hand snagged the CR-SH/BX-90 Seraph heat blade from the right hip, the blade immediately glowed more intensely than the T-S/32 heat sword and Kailyn began the process of methodically and surgically curving the Lupos Stratus, with the burning urge for revenge in his mind and without a hint of remorse in his soul.

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The first volley of 140mm and 160mm rounds impacted to the rear of Datto's engineers; now turned infantrymen, dug in deep inside their foxholes, just off the main road and next to an old abandone gas station near Mitsuba's platoon positions.Like a gun trigger being pulled at a race, those first thirty artillery rounds catapulted hundreds of soldiers, both LFA and Guild, who were spread out over an area ten kilometers wide, into action.

Inside her own Grave, Phollia stared at the main view screen as the short falling rounds blew apart a tree, spraying chunks of rocks, leaves and soil into the air, before raising her Grave to its full height.Misha without needed to be ordered, yelled to Zakan to crank up the teams MTR and fall back. Louise Zakan, like Misha, didn't need to be told either.As his fingers was already on the starter when Misha yelled.Elvano's eyes popped open as if he had been hit by an electrical shock.In a single glanced he checked the radio's frequency settings on both the reciever-transmitter and the auxiliary reciever to ensure that they were set on the correct radio nets, before glancing at the minovsky particles levels to ensure that communications was possible.Then, knowing subconsciously that Zakan would be starting up the MTR, he reached up and turned the radios off until the engine turned over.

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Even before Phollia began to transmitt her initial report, Alvador Latinni knew the Guild artillery barrage had commence as the area several kilometers in from of him turned dark gray like a butchers smoke house.Since the mission had already been planned for, there was no need for him to contact Captain Vesquez or anyone in Delta Company's chain of command or for them to directly intervene. Instead Latinni sat inside his Lupus B and began feeding the Lupus B with the elevation and azimuth information that the backpack mounted, over-the left shouder mounted 210mm cannon needed, information that was being fed to him via radio, information that the cannons own computers processed, although at a slower pace.

The precise location of one of the two Guild artillery battery was being plotted.Next the computer analyzed data on air density, barometeric pressure, relative humidity, wind direction and speed, and a dozen other factors.Major Latinni watched his status board for the solution light to come up." Ok, all FIST units, light those fuckers up," Latinni commanded while depressing the trigger on the right control stick.

The left shoulder mounted cannon spit a single round out of its massive barrel.Shuddering the mobile suit down to its core; luckily it was on one knee, reducing the shock and increasing its over-all balanced from the recoil.A special millimeter-band radar on the Lupus B right back shoulder armor tracked the shell, comparing its flight path with the one predicted by the fire-control computer.Not suprisingly, there was some errors in predicted wind velocity.The radar's own computer forwarded the new empirical readings to the master system, and the 210mm gun shifted slightly.It fired again even before the first round had landed.

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The impact of those rounds across the river from Alpha Company's position caught Phollia's attention for a split second, but she didn't bother herself with wondering with who had fired them and what they had hit.As far as she was concerned, at that moment that artillery barrage wasn't important to her fight.But Phollia had no idea just how much the FIST teams in support of Alpha Company had already began shifting the odds of success into her favor.In a span on minutes, before the first Guild Infantry Fighting Vechicles (IFV) and Armor Personal Carriers (APC) had left their positions to commenced the assault, the Guild MRB had lost several mobile artillery guns; in the midst of reloading for the second volley, ammo carriers and artillerymen.Left alone and given time, the Guild artillery battery would be able to recover some of its ability to function.It was, however at this moment, as they say in military terminolgy, effectively neutralized and would no longer play a part in the battle that was developing along the Vesti river.

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The FIST teams supporting Alpha Company were not finished.Their work, in fact, was only just beginning.Even before the last round had left its barrel, the ordance crew were already pulling alongside the Lupus Bs with their ammo carriers, using the makeshift crane atop the MTR ammo carrier, the four-man crew immediately began reloading the 210mm cannons with twenty fresh rounds, while a fifth crewman began cleaning out the barrel in haste, even as the radio burst with the new firing orders.The second Guild artillery battery had been tracked three kilometers east of its immobilized counterpart.

Suddenly, burst of radio traffic were heard on the frequencies that Delta Company's Major Telia Sterlon, believed to be the Guild motor-rifle battalion command net and artillery net, caught by the JA-12B Blindspotter personal carrier just after their first artillery battery had began to fire and now again to the second artillery battery.Though each message was only a few seconds in length, nearly back to back, they were enough to get a fixed on the Guild's location.The electronic package onboard the modified MTR- personnal carrier received and processed the signals using the targeted frequencies, used before the Guild battery had commenced firing and recorded that information in its computer as back azimuths, or lines leading from the MTR back in the direction from which the signals originated.After several seconds, this computer had accumulated several back azimuths, since the MTR was moving erractically and the source of the signal was not.Using its own internal mapping system, the computer plotted all back azimuths and compared them.The point where all the computer's data downlink, the precise location of where the signals originated.

Telia Sterlon compared the new location provided by the JA-12B Blindspotter MTR with the one they had previously suspected to be the Guild motor-rifle battalion command post based on the earlier signals.When she saw that they matched, she became overly-excited." I'll be damn, we've got them. We've got their CP." Opening the comm with Delta Company CO." Sir, we got the their CP.We should fire on the Guild battalion CP now, while we still have its location locked."

Latinni, overhearing Sterlon's requested over the , immediately ordered all FIST teams to hold their fire, as he open a comm-link with the CO's Lupus S." Sir, my teams rearmed and ready to fire immediately.Do we have a go, sir."

Captain Vesquez looked first at Latinni, then at Sterlon through the Lupus S sub-moniters.The plan had never anticipated the tracking and localization of the Guild CP, there artillery batterys yes, but their CP.Vesquez mind shuffle the two options, order artillery fire on the CP or the second artillery battery, he had to sacrifice one in order to nab the other, and right now the artillery battery was a direct threat to Phollia and Alpha Company.' Shit.We never anticipated we'd be getting their CP, not with the possibility of minovsky particles interventiom and now your telling me, we have their CP and your waiting for permission.Hell fucking yea Major, I want you to blow their asses to kingdom come and beyond. Is that clear, Major."

Latinnia didn't need to be told twice, he orderd the information to be sent to both FIST teams of Delta and Jalen Company immediately.In less than a minute, the eight TMS-17B Lupus Bs that made up the two FIST teams had all the relevant information they would need to engage an enemy command post as a high priority target with two volleys of HEAT and HE ammunition.When the last Lupus B reported in that they were ready. Latinni gaved the order to commence firing.

Within minutes a hundred and sixty shells were raining down on the Guild motor-rifle battalion CP, with an additional eighty rounds to followed within five minutes; but Latinni or the commanders of Delta Company never knew that those additional rounds were not needed.The first volley of artillery rounds had caught the Guild MRB CP in the midst of preparing to move forward and effectively removed the Guild battalion commander and a majority of his battle staff out of the action.Although the initial artillery missions of Delta Company had not touched the Guild MRB assault elements, but when those elements began their assault, they would be with only half of their artillery battery and would have no command and control elements capable of directing the battle.

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Having no knowledge of these, it was not important to Phollia at that moment, what was important to Phollia was the report that there were enemy mobile suits on her left flank taking her 1st Platoon under fire.There was also the activity reported by her 2nd Platoon to her right.Phollia knew there was enemy vehicles to both her flanks.Reports before the enemy attack of noise and numerous hot spots in the woods across the river had alerted her to that.What she didn't know yet was whether the Guilds were trying to make a demonstration on one flank, in order to keep her from shifting forces before the battle to the flank where the main attack was coming or if they intended to hit both flanks with a major attack; but her vast experience with Guild commanders in the field dismissed the idea of a major two-prong attack, the Guild tended to push everything into one major assault. Now, what worried her slightly was neither platoon reported sighting more than a platoon size mobile suit unit.At four mobile suit to a platoon, four platoon to a company and a company was usually attach to a MRB, Phollia knew that two platoons where unaccounted for and that left eight very dangerous machines out there.

From her position, Phollia could see the rapid flashes of fire as enemy mobile suits and tanks to her left fired into the wood line where her 1st platoon was located.Initial reports from Second Lieutenant Evem Ahern, platoon leader of that platoon, indicated the Guild mobile suits and tanks fire was inaccurate and ineffective._They were_, Phollia thought, _testing that_ _position._ And Phollia knew that the enemy did not fire blindly, wasting ammo for the sake of having it.To her right, where the other enemy concentration had been reported, there was nothing.The platoon leader, Second Lieutenant Datto, reported that while her infantry units near the river line could hear numerous vehicles cranking up, they had no visual sighting as yet and were not under heavy fire other than the short bursts of mobile suit machineguns fire.Athough she didn't want to commit yet, not until the sights of those two mobile suit platoons were confirmed, Phollia was already convinced in her heart that the action on the left was the demonstration and that the main attack would fall on her 2nd Platoon.Keying the radio, she ordered Mitsuba to standby and be prepared to shift her entire platoon to the right in support of 2nd platoon or as a counterattack.

When Mitsuba acknowlege, but with a hint of mistrust in her voice, Phollia shrugged it off and change frequncy to her own platoon." Ok troopers.Show time, we're going over to 2nd Platoon's position."

Misha expected that order, was already going to make a comment, but didn't.Somehow, the gravity of the moment and the sudden welling of tension that one feels before entering combat made the humor and glib remarks seem inappropriate.So Misha remained silent and brought his own Grave to full combat status in preparation to engage the enemy.Once confirming that neither Phollia or Misha was in need of an immediate supply of ammo, Zakan pulled back a hundred meters behind Phollia's mobile suit, as the giant machine headed towards the woods and down to where 2nd Platoon's infantry waited, 100mm machinegun in its right hand and heat rapier; not yet glowing, in its left.

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Authors note: I seem to have loss Chapter 5--the Chaper 5 you've read is in actuality chapter 6 and so forth...made a tactical mistake in re-arranging the chapters three weeks ago...will work on it..( won't be as good as some notes are missing or have long been deleted)


	9. Chapter 8

**Mobile Suit Gundam: Vanguard Blitz**

**Chapter 8**

When the first wave of Guild Vosgove infantry fighting vehicles, mobile suits and Thranka armored personnel carriers broke from their cover and began to rush down the riverbank, Lieutenant Giza Datto and her 2nd platoon were ready.From her position with the anti-tank element of her platoon, just inside the wood line along the river, the scorching sunlight and the anticipation of the incoming engagement made the Guild vehicles look more like harmless boats slidding into the water than fighting machines.She would wait, she decided, until they were in the water before she gave the order to fire, it would be in her mind like shooting fish in a barrel, but these fish also had teeth in the shape of machinegun turrets.

Not sure how many Guild military vehicles they were up against, Datto was about to call to the commander of the three GR-81 tank platoon providing support that he was not to engage the mobile suits, Vosgoves and Thrankas until the majority of them were in the river, when that tank fired its main gun, shattering the early after-noon sky with a sharp crack.

Datto swored inwardly and stood as high as she dared, even as the corner of her eyes caught a flash of fire and wisps of grey smoke emerging from the woods across the river to her front.Leaning over in an effort to see the damn tank that had fired and destroyed her plans for an ambush, its wingman's main gun also fired.The muzzle blast of the tank's 120mm main gun momentarily blinded Datto, who had not expected such a turn of events and she blinked her eyes shut for a moment and re-open them.Suddenly without any warning, the tank less than fifty meters to her right was engulf in a shower of sparks, flames and black smoke, milliseconds later its wingman blew apart, its turret sailing free of its base in mid-air.The terrible screeching noise of metal tearing metal cut through Datto like a knife.Even before she had time to twist her head the fraction of an inch she would need to look from the riverbank to the tanks, the first tank's large metal blow-off panels that covered the ammunition storage area had already been torn free.Like a dead leaf, the blow-off panel was flipped over the turret and sent flying straight up, followed by a solid sheet of flames.Datto watched silently as the fire quickly died down and smoke slowly rosed from the ammo storage compartment of the turret, just as she was about to mentally write that tank off, the loader's hatch swung open.Datto lower jaw dropped open.To her amazement, she saw the loader climb out, turn around, then reached down to help someone else, but the area around the tank vanish into a fireball and flying dirt as eight Empus missiles landed with a fiery of explosions around the three tanks positions.Quicker than the bat of an eyelash, Datto ducked backed into her ditch, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Datto rotated her head until she was facing the riverbank.

When she finally was finally calm and facing the riverbank line, Datto rosed her head slowly until she saw the sinister forms of a pair of Lupuses; she wasn't immediately sure of the types, but a second glanced told her they were a TMS-17F Lupus Gravitor and TMS-17G Lupus Dominator, while the Lupus D was no surprised to her as it was the second unit to be mass-produced in huge numbers; second only to the Lupus Beta type, the Lupus Gravitor was another story, it primary users was the Guild's 86th Airborne Division and only a few units from the 86th Airborne Division had beed deployed in Deikumia and most of those units, if not all were at Gulvanize base, at least as far as she was informed. But at that moment none of that mattered as Datto could clearly see the Lupus Ds Zyan 140mm cannon on its right shoulder armor still smoking and a wisp of smoke behind the Lupus Gravitor as they emerge from the clump of trees side by side, followed immediately by two others behind them.They were, Datto realized in that instant, in deep shit, without knee-high boots.

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Word that the attack had commenced caught Phollia still half-way between Mitsuba's and Datto's position.Doing her best to watch the radar monitor and the main camera picture simulthaneously as she moved downed the forest trail to the river's edge, Phollia began to issue orders to her company.After acknowledging Datto's initial report and mentally calculating that she would never arrived in time, she ordered her executive officer, First Lieutenant Rick Oldak, to pass that report to Delta Company.When Oldak acknowledged, Phollia called her fire support officer, Second Lieutenant Gene Ganda.She instructed Ganda to request that the final protective fires plotted in front of 2nd Platoon, together with another mission into an area where the suspected enemy tanks and mobile suits would be supporting the crossing, be fired immediately.When Ganda gived her a." Roger, Out." Phollia called Mitsuba.Knowing that the bulk of her platoon could not engage the enemy forces from where she was, she ordered Mitsuba to flex her team to the right, into 2nd Platoon's area as planned.Mitsuba, unlike the others, did not immediately respond.Repeating her orders to Mitsuba, Phollia finally got a respond a few seconds later from Mitsuba's platoon sergeant first class Vojan Dupree.Although she had no idea why Mitsuba had not responded herself, Phollia let the matter drop, until a more appropriate time could get her a proper respond. Finally Phollia contacted Second Lieutenant Ahern to make sure that there was not an attack developing to the front of 1st Platoon. Ahern confirmed Phollia's earlier assumption, reporting that enemy tanks and mobile suits fires was continous, but that he saw no sign of an assault developing where he was.

Finished with her orders for the moment, Phollia snapped her mono-eye right and left scanning, and to confirmed that the supporting MTR was far in the back and safely away from any immediate danger, then called back to Datto requesting an update on her engagement.Her response was quick and short.

" **ALPHA FIVE.THIS IS TWO SIX.WE HAVE ONE FIVE PLUS APCs, IFVs AND FOUR MOBILE SUITS.WE ARE ENGAGING NOW AND REQUIRE IMMEDIATE SUPPORT.OVER**." As if on cue, Phollia heard a series of muffled bangs over the crack of a rapid firing cannon as Dattos platoon fired their first volley of anti-tank rockets and TOW wire-guided anti-tank missiles, against the return fire of several 76mm heavy machineguns.

Phollia mentally surmised that the dug-in infantry had a low probably of success against multiple mobile suits equiped with the deadly rapid-firing TMG-20/R1 76mm heavy machineguns.She was contemplating calling in Delta Company for additional support, when she felt it.A sudden electrical shock at the back of her head, not waiting to clearify its meaning, her Grave dropped to its knee at her command, its left knee snapping a six foot tree into splinters, and exacting a grimaced from her lips.The line of 76mm high-velocity tracers lashed across the area her Grave had been, missing her Grave's head by less than a feet and striking the ground with a thunderous **Boom**.Maintaining an awareness of her surrounding and a mental location of the fire, Phollia twisted the 100mm machine gun where the shots had come from and cut loose a return barrage, filling the treeline with API rounds and was greeted with a satisfactory burst of flames where the attacker lay hidden.

As Phollia rosed the Grave back to its feet, a small black object trailing smoke burst out from the trees to her front right and pass within inches of her armor, the Gyan 380mm bazooka round, exploded on impacting the ground, shattering a tree behind her and showering her Grave's shoulder armor with leaves.Snapping the 100mm machinegun's barrel in the direction the 380mm bazooka's round had come from and sprayed the area with 100mm API rounds.Misha's Grave skidded beside Phollia's and quickly added his own fire into the fray.

Phollia never had the time to confirmed if they were hitting anything.By the time both Graves 100mm machineguns had used up the 64 round extended clips, the area if front of them had been stripped of a dozen trees and set ablazed by internal explosions from stored propellant.Now while she couldn't see it herself, Phollia suspected the enemy unit had been destroyed.Quickly she ejected the empty 64 round clip for a fresh 32 round clip and remain standing unmoving.Guild teams operated in units of fours, one Gyan, one Zyan and two 76mm heavy machine gun carriers.There was at least two Lupuses out there and Phollia had no intention of walking into an ambush.She glanced at her Grave's digital clock, forty seconds had elapsed since the engagement, while it had brought down two Lupus types, it had also delayed her arrival to 2nd Platoons position, and those infantrymen were far more valuable than taking out a pair of Lupuses.

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Though they had anticipated some heavy amount of return fire during their assault, the rockets and missiles fired startled most of the commanders of the assaulting Vosgoves and Thrankas.Here and there, a Vosgove and Thranka swerved a little to the right or left or slowed down slightly as drivers also reacted to being taken under fire.Recovering their own composure, the commanders of the erring vehicles issued sharp reprimands to their drivers before turning to search for the source of the enemy fires.As his Vosgove infantry fighting vehicle approached the river, the Guild commander of the assaulting company was momentarily taken aback by the volume of enemy fire that had lit up the northern riverbank.He had been told by his Battalion commander and by that Colonel from the EZG detachment that had join up with them earlier, that they were being opposed by a single Deikumian Armored Company equiped with a tanks, light armored infantry vehicles and a few mobile suits, that somehow had escaped from Gulvanize base and had found itself at their rear.The telltales signatures of rockets and anti-tank missiles coming from the wood line and high ground beyond, told him different.Grabbing his radio hand mike, he called to informed his Battalion commander of the true situation and request immediated artillery suport.There, was however, no response to his calls.Neither his battalion or his operations officer answered.Giving up on the Battalion commander and assuming the communication black-out was due to minovsky particle interference, he tried to call the artillery support officer at battalion.That effort too met with failure.In frustration, he turned to his own artillery support officer and ordered him to contact the supporting artillery battery and tell them to shift their fires to his front.Having anticipated that order, the artillery officer looked up and reported that he could only get in contact with only one artillery battery and it was currently countering enemy artillery batteries and would not be able to provide support for the time being.

In frustration, the company commander cursed, turning back to see how the first assault echelon was doing.His eyes were greeted by visions of burning mobile suits and vehicles, some still in the river, sinking or lazily turning around as they drifted downstream, out of control.Most of the first assault, however, had already reached the far shore and were beginning to pull themselves out of the river.With nothing further to be gained from staying where he was, the company commander ordered his driver to move out and join the second assault echelon, consisting of a mix-bag company of Vosgove infantry fighting vehicles, Series 61 main battle tanks and a mobile suit team, which was just beginning to emerge from their hidden positions and heading down to the river.With a little luck and some pushing, they could still succeed.

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When the enemy Vosgove infantry fighting vechicles and Thrankas armored personnel carriers reached the north bank of the river, they broke into two groups.One group moved straight for the woods were Datto and her dismounted infantry were.A second group of six vehicles and two mobile suits to the left charge into a gap in the woods that led to the high ground where Datto's platoon sergeant was located with the platoons MTRs and two remaining tanks.Unable to control both fights, Datto concentrated on the group entering the woods while leaving her platoon sergeant to hold the enemy back until their own mobile suits arrived.

Though the dismounted infantry with Datto had manage to stop the Lupus G and three Lupus Ds along with half a dozen Thrankas and a few Vosgoves, with their first volley of anti-tank rockets and the 30mm cannons from the 3 MTR at the river bank, as they were walking themselves out of the river or pulling themselves out, that still left thirteen Guild Vosgove and Thrankas bearing down on the dismounted infantry of 2nd Platoon.Within seconds of reaching the riverbank, those thirteen Vosgoves and Thrankas were up, out, and right into the middle of the platoons positions. From firings ports along the sides, tops and rear of the Vosgove and Thrankas, the Guild infantry squad inside of the Vosgove and Thrankas opened fired as they entered the woods where the LFA positions were. Together with the fire from the mounted infantry 30mm cannons, 12.7mm machineguns and 14.5mm heavy machineguns, each vehicles laid down fire that began to have a telling effect on 2nd Platoon.

While the Guild fire was wild and blind, its sheer volume, along with the chaos created when the Thrankas and Vosgoves themselves came tearing through their positions, was more than enough to break up 2nd Platoons ability to offer organized resistance.For several terrifying seconds each dismounted infantrymen with Datto, as well as Datto herself, was on his/her own.The noise and confusion created by the appearance of the large steel fighting vehicles crashing through the woods only inches away, while spewing fire from every direction, was terrifying.For several critical seconds, each man and woman had to decide for himself whether to stay put, doing nothing while the Guild Thrankas and Vosgoves passed, fight the vehicles as best they could, or flee.

To her left, Datto heard a piercing scream.To her right, someone was yelling for a medic.The shouts of squad leaders were punctured or cut short by the noise of gunfire and grinding engines of enemy vehicles as they crashed their way through the woods.Her platoon was taking casualties and at that moment there was nothing that she could do to stop the enemy or help her people who were in trouble.Suddenly the real problems of being a combat leader hit home.For several critical seconds Datto would have to trust that her squad leaders and every individual rifleman in those woods, would continue to perform their assigned duties while ignoring the pain and suffering of their friends and comrads.In those seconds, wth the enemy vehicles every-where there was nothing that Datto or the infantry squad leaders in the woods with her could do to control the people under their command.If she fail to keep her head and suppress her own fear and panic, or the discipline and cohesian of the unit fails, the platoon would fall apart and cease to be a fighting unit.If her nerve and the cohesion of her platoon held, then Datto and her sergeants had a chance to reorganized the platoon after the Thrankas and Vosgoves had passed and continue to resist. Jumping out of the path of a Vosgove that rolled on past her like a rogue mad bull.Datto prayed that, one, she survived the next ten seconds, and two, she found something left to command at the end of those ten seconds.One thing she was positive about, if she survive this hell somehow, she would transfer to mobile suit piloting, because this dig-in infantrymen shit died the moment mobile suit became the primary military weapon of choice for all armies.

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The problem facing Mitsuba at that moment was, for her, equally distressing, though not nearly as hazardous.When she had heard Phollia's order to prepared to shift her platoon right in support of 2nd Platoon or as a counter-attacking force, Mitsuba had passed those orders around and shut the radio off to began her start up sequence for the Grave, only to find she had shut down the minovsky ultra compact fusion reactor several hours earlier and had fail to restart the reactor every other hour to keep it warm, as it was cold, she would need at least five minutes for a full warm-up and start-up sequence.

How she had manage to turn off her reactor and forget to activate it every other hour was beyond her comprehension.As the Grave began its slow start-up, she glanced over her instrument and lean back into her seat, and waited.There was time, she just hope she had enough time before orders to move out were issued.

It was ony when a movement at the corner of her main camera picture moved that Mitsuba popped upright in her seat and looked about just in time to see the telltale signs of Dupree and his wingman's Graves disappear in the woods with a power jump, thruster backpack flaring behind them.Instinctively Mitsuba reached up and keyed the push-to-talk button on the side of her crewman's helmet to activate the radio.When nothing happen, she suddenly remembered that she had switch the radio off and failed to turn it back on in her haste.Just as she was prepared to turn the radio on, Mitsuba saw her own wingman's mobile suit, C22, went thundering right behind him.Straighting up, Mitsuba stared at her main view screen at C22 and could only surmised that they had recieved orders to move out and having her radio off she had fail to recieved those orders and pass them along. Mitsuba began cursing out loud at Phollia and the incredible bad luck that had brought her to this spot.Nevertheless, she eyed the minovsky fusion reactor power gauge with palable hatred as it charge slowly.

No one in 2nd Platoon, or Phollia, realized that Mitsuba was out of contact.Even Dupree, who had acknowledge Phollia's orders and failing to contact Mitsuba directly, had pass those orders to the rest of the platoon and not knowing why his platoon leader had not responded.What he did know was that the infantrymen was in trouble and his platoon leader had fail to respond.Assuming that his lieutenant was to busy trying to get herself and her suit to move, and that she would follow when she could, Dupree took temporary command of the platoon and moved out in respond to Phollia orders, two minutes after the orders had been given.There would be time later, if they survive, to listen to Mitsuba's excuses.Right now, all Dupree knew was that the ground pounders were in deep shit and needed help.

l

Clear of the river and in the woods, the commander of the Guild first assualt echelon that was over running Datto's dismounted infantry had three simple choices and not much time in which to make his decision.He could stop in the middle of the Foundation's forces position in the woods, dismount his own infantry, and try to wipe out the enemy.Since he really didn't know how many of his Vosgoves and Thrankas had made it and with the mobile suit team with them now wipe out before even crossing the river and his own company disoriented and confused at the moment as the enemy they were over-running, he quickly decide against that.His next option was to move out of the woods and stop there.By doing so, his company would be cleared of the enemy positions and in the open.The Guild commander would then have time to dismount and organized his own command before going back into the woods to clear out the enemy.That, however, didn't seem like a good idea, since there had been reports of enemy mobile suits.They, he thought might be on the high ground, ready to engage his company as soon as it emerge from the woods.To stop there would only make the job of the enemy mobile suits that much easier.The final option available to him, as the Guild commander saw it, was to forget about the Deikumians in the woods by the river line and just keep advancing toward the high ground.There, in the woods overlooking the bridge and open areas near the riverbank, he could deploy his company and cover the engineers as they put their bridge across the damage highway.Once the bridge was in place, the tank platoons would be able to cross over, with the remaining mobile suits providing the support; with their powerful thruster backpack, making the jump across was easy enough for them.Once they had join up with the tanks they could deal with the enemy tanks and mobile suits.That, he decided, would be the most advantageous decision for his company and the entire MRB.

The impact of the conditions under the Guild commander had to make his decision played no small part in his choice.In the small, cramped confines of his Vosgove's turret, he could see precious little of the outside world, a forest world was as dark as the ace of spades and illuminated at random by the occassional sunlight through the darken forest trees and by the flash of gunfire or an explosion.The grinding of his Vosgove engines, mixed with the chatter of the machinegun and the thunk-thunk-thunk of the 30mm cannon in the same turret he sat in, mingled with the firing of the other Vosgoves and Thrankas outside.Added to this was an occassional bing-bing-bing as bullets, both enemy and friendly, ricocheted off the outside of his Vosgoves.Under such conditions, couple with his temporary loss of control over his company and the tension and stress of prolong combat, it was a wonder that the Guild company commander was able to think at all.But he could and did.Without any hesitation, he ordered his remaining vehicles to continue to advance through the woods and up to the high ground beyond.The follow-up company, he decided, could deal with the mess in the woods.He wanted to get out into the open where he could deploy his company.

l

After tip-toeing her Grave to the edge of the tree line, but still no where near where Datto and her dismounteds were located, Phollia was about to order Elvano to make a left turn and head into those woods, when Misha yelled over the radio that he had acquired two mobile suits to their front.Phollia immediately dropped the Grave on its left knee, staring at her main screen until the cameras caught sight of them.In the center of her main screen, at a range of less than four hundred meters, Phollia saw the distinctive image of two TMS-17G Lupus Ds hidden between a clump of trees and firing sporadically at the high ground where two tanks and some dismounts were located.Earlier this morning that area had been covered with grass and saplings, but now under the constant barrage of the Lupus Ds it was a waste land with swirling dust storms and floating leaves. And of course the two tank's main cannons return fire was slow and off by a dozen meters.Phollia battle harden eyes evaluated the attack closely and then the surrounding landscape around her.

' _Their distracted by the tanks on the high ground."_ Calmly, Phollia began to issue her comand." Misha, we'll moved around the Lupus Ds, using the trees as cover.At the first sign of detection, take out the one on the right.I'll handle the one on the left."

But before Misha could confirm that her orders had been recieve, she felt the all to familiar surge of electrical shock at the back of her head, and the hairs began to stand on end almost the exact moment something moved in front of her main camera and caught her full attention.' _What the_...

Shifting her mono-eye turret to the right and down, Phollia was greeted by the image of two Vosgoves and four Thrankas in a line emerging from the woods she had intended to slip into, hoping to get behind the Lupus Ds.The image of half a dozen enemy armored vehicles, crawling towards them, startle Phollia for a brief moment.These guys had walked into deep shit and didn't know it yet.Phollia knew she could take care of the Vosgoves and Thrankas in a matter of seconds, but that also carried the penalty of revealing their location to the pair of Lupus Ds and they were alot more dangerous than a couple of armored vehicles.

Unfortunately for her, Misha did not consider the ramification of engaging the Vosgoves and Thrankas, as startle as he was at seeing the enemy vehicles within point blank range of his 100mm machinegun, he was even more anxious to scorched such easy kills.Snapping his 100mm machinegun's barrel low, Misha jerked the trigger, sending a burst of 100mm armor-piercing and high explosives rounds into the lead Vosgove.At less than forty meter range, none miss.The three-round burst punched three large neat holes in the Vosgove of the commander of the first assualt echelon's front armored plate, passing through the stored ammunition into the Vosgove's fuel cell and out the rear through the engine compartment.The tremendous explosion began in the propellant of the stored ammunition, then the fuel tanks.

By the time the first Vosgove began shuddering from internal explosion, Misha was already raking 100mm rounds across the line, two Thrankas was blown apart before Phollia fully understood what had just happen, cursing Misha inwardly for his lack of understanding of the overall situation, Phollia's own 100mm machinegun stuttered in her Grave hand, spraying the last two Thrankas in the rear with two short control bursts, effectively trapping the remaining Vosgove between the destroyed Vosgove in the front and Thrankas at the rear.A split second little as Misha emptied his remaining rounds into the trapped undamage Vosgove, Phollia regain her composure." **CEASE FIRE, CEASE FIRE. BACK BACK**." Wanting to put some distance between her and the Vosgoves and Thrankas they had just destroyed, so she can move back and engage the two Lupus Ds beyond them, that were already shifting there fires in her direction.

With faster than average reflex, Phollia jerked the Grave into moving backwards.It had barely moved more than three meters when a stream of tracers emerge from the woods to their front and streaked pass her main screen picture.Startle, Phollia looked over, just in time to see the humanoid shapes of the Lupus Ds coming out of the woods.To her front right, Misha took a burst of 76mm rounds into his Graves left arm, shattering the wrist from the arm as it was preparing to slide a loaded clip into his empty machinegun.Cursing loudly Phollia skidded to a stop as the lead Lupus D level its twin 76mm machineguns at Misha's Grave, and opening fire on the Lupus D as its barrel flash twice, before the API rounds tore holes in its torso and shatter its mono-eye head and sensors.

Misha's Grave stagger back as the two AP rounds smacked through its upper torso, just five inches above the cockpit hatch.Dropping her machinegun, Phollia open the right hand and using her left hand toss the red hot heat rapier into it and drove ahead, closing the distance between the undamage Lupus D, as its comrad collapse in a heap.The Lupus D fired a wild burst that she side-stepped with an ease very few veteran could accomplish, even as she watched the tracers at the corner of her eyes, zipped pass her main screen pictured like fireflies on speed.Forcing the Grave ahead with a force of well more than the backpack thrusters, Phollia cut the distance between the two suits quickly as it fired a final burst that she intercepted with the Graves empty left arm, shattering it, in da midst of the right hand slashing upward, cleaving deeply into the Lupus D cockpit hatch, Phollia licked her upper lip, tasting cherry flavored lip gloss and followed in by spunning the Grave completely around with an amazing grace while slashing the Lupus D across its torso.The Grave's thrusters reversed their flow and catapult the mobile suit away before the Lupus D collapse on the ground and exploded into a fireball, that set a tree ablazed.

Just as Phollia Grave landed deftly, her proximity alarmed blared, two more Lupus Ds emerged from behind the burning Vosgoves and Thrankas, not one hundred meters to her left and one took aimed withs its 380mm and pointed the massive barrel straight at Misha's Grave; that was staggering to its feet and barely stood upright.

Inside the Grave Misha saw the Lupus Ds and painfully tried to shift the Grave to the left to evade, but mentally he kew he couldn't make it.Those two AP rounds had damage his suit badly, half his cameras was knocked out and most of the view screens was full with static, add that to the fact his Grave's response time was slower and not to mention that he had no range weapons in which to counter-attack.The Lupus D calmly took aim and prepared to fired.The pilot knew he had the Grave and there wasn't a damn thing Misha could do to stop it him.

But luck was with him today.The lead Lupus D lower legs exploded as Zakan droved the MTR forward at full speed, behind the 30mm cannon Elvano was screaming loudly as he pumped rounds after rounds into the Lupus D lower left leg.The second Lupus D fired a burst of its 76mm heavy machinegun in return, exploding the dirt in front of the MTR, sending it flying high, a moment late it crashed into a tree and burst into flames.

The lead Lupus Ds mono-eye shifted back to Misha, its lower left leg lacking armor plating but otherwise undamage, suddenly, before it could level its 380mm bazooka it was dancing and staggering backwards like a drunken sailor as it was riddle with armor-piercers and API rounds, collapsing to the ground in a heap, its pilot never having an opportunity to squeeze the trigger of its 380mm bazooka.The relief Misha felt at that exact moment was incredible, even as a flash of light descended on the second Lupus D at the corner of his eyes.

As they broke out the tree line, Dupree raised his two 100mm machinegun barrels skyward that had taken down the first Lupus D, as he watched Phollia dropped on the remaining Lupus D and curved it apart with the heat rapier, while he was amazed and shocked at the Grave's flawless movements, he had work to do.Even as he yelled to the rest of the platoon, Dupree's eyes had already laid on an additional pair of Lupus Ds two hundred meters behind the destroyed ones, that were moving forward quickly.With the aiming dot of his sight recticule laid on the center of the lead Lupus D, now moving around a clump of trees near the Lupus D Phollia was finishing off, Dupree hit the laser range finder button, watched for a return and fired. At a range of less than two hundred meters, the API and AP rounds from both handheld 100mm machineguns caught the Lupus D on its side armor blowing it backwards.Seeing the effect of his twin 100mm machineguns three-round burst, Dupree fired again at the second Lupus D, blowing the torso open, quickly Dupree searched the immediate area for another target and spotted a Vosgove already reversing at full power.

His wingman, however, pulled up next to Dupree's Grave, got it first.Unlike Dupree's API and AP rounds, this Grave's 100mm machinegun was loaded with APFSDS rounds, C24 pilot fired the 100mm machinegun that was in the Grave's right hand.Though it was a waste of twenty-two APFSDS rounds, it was more conservative to switch to semi-automatic mode and popped two or three rounds into the Vosgove than wasting more than half a clip.Of course, in combat no one argued with a kill, even if it was a Vosgove.

Glacing back too see who had dropped the two Lupus Ds, Phollia saw the two Graves to her back right.Signaling Misha, she moved her Grave to bring it between Dupree's suit and a third Grave that was only now coming out of the woods.All the while Misha continued to scann for more targets while mentally keeping his main camera away from the MTR that was a fireball, Dupree's three Graves continued on ahead to engage the last remaining Vosgoves and IFV that had over-run Dattos position.

Satisfied for a moment that they were in control where she was, Phollia attempted to contact Datto in an effort to find out what was happening within 2nd Platoon, kneeling on the low ground, one hundred and fifty meters behind the the woods, Phollia was unable to see the river or gap beyond.But she could hear the sounds of small arms coming from the woods she had just withdraw from and mobile suit type machinegun fire coming from the high ground far off to her front right.Artillery seemed to be impacting somewhere off in the distance, beyond the woods and near the river.She couldn't tell whose artillery it was, let alone what it was hitting.Finally ready, Phollia began to find out.

The first person to answer Phollia's called for sitreps was Datto's platoon sergeant, sitting up on the high ground with the platoon's MTR.His report was quick and harried.' ALPHA SIX, We are engaging a whole bunch of Vosgoves and Thrankas, supported by tanks and Lupus Ds to our front.We have destroyed at least nine armored vehicles and two mobile suits, but there are more coming up now, out of the river.Enemy return fire is becoming heavy and accurate.Charlie Two Two has been hit and out of action.I may have to pull back from here.Over."

Realizing he was facing the second echelon company, Phollia looked down at Dupree's Grave, then keyed the radio.**CHARLIE TWO FOUR, THIS IS SIX.HOLD YOUR POSITION.I AM UP ON YOUR RIGHT WITH OUR SUITS.WE WILL HIT THE ENEMY SECOND COMPANY IN THE FLANK.DO YOU COPY?OVER."**

Datto's platoon sergeant, in the midst of an engagement, only manage a quick." Yes. ma'am."

That however short, was enough.While facing Dupree's mobile suit, a fourth Grave came thundering behind them. Phollia radio the new arrival." Mitsuba, your late. Did you monitor my last order too Charlie Two Four." Mitsuba's Grave waved with its 100mm machinegun, and answered on the radio." Yes' ma'am. We're moving out now." Without another word, the Grave linked up with the rest of the mobile suits that were putting the finishing touches on a pair of Thrankas and continued moving forward.

While the mobile suits began disappearing in the woods, Phollia called to Misha over the radio." Did you call the medical unit to check up on Specialist Zakan and Alvano."

Misha replied was sober." Yes, ma'am."

Phollia sighed, casualty was a part of war, both Zakan and Elvano knew the risk, but their selfless act had saved Misha's life while losing their own."Okay, lets move ahead Misha and try to keep up with the Grave to your left.With a flip of a few switched.Phollia's Grave replace the heat rapier to begain recharging and snagged the backup 100mm machinegun and chase after the Graves of Mitsuba's team .

As Misha watched the Phollia Grave thunder ahead, he begin feeling exhausted and glanced down at his once white shirt, now turning red with blood.His face, chest, and upper arms had been shredded by glass that had shattered by those two AP rounds.Though it wasn't fatal, he had to get medical attention quickly before an infection set in. But that would have to wait until later, his countrymen were in trouble and he had no intention of staying in the back safe, while others face the danger.

With a grunt that was very painful, he jerked the Grave forward in pursuit, while snagging the heat rapier with the Grave's left hand.

l

As Phollia and the mobile suits began to pass to the rear of her position Giza Datto was still in the process of pulling her dismounted squads back together.Reoriented by Datto to the front and right, squad leaders called out to their men, who were scrambling and tumbling about in the woods torn up by the first wave of Vosgoves, Thrankas and mobile suits.While the platoon's medic and lightly wounded infantryman paused to help some of the more severely wounded, the rest of 2nd platoons dismounts homed in on the sound of their squad leader's voice.This effort was complicated by the presence of two Thrankas that had earlier run through her position and, unlike the others that had left the woods, had turned back.Realizing that she would be unable to ignore the presence of those APCs, Datto ordered a squad leader of her 4th Squad to take his men and go back to find and destroy them.With that problem taken care off, Datto turned her attention to the efforts of her three other squads.Both had taken casualties, but for the moment both were preparing to re-engage the enemy Thrankas and Vosgoves going pass them into the gap.

The Vosgoves and Thrankas moving through the gap offered the anti-tank gunners flank shots at less than forty meters and provided Datto's men with perfect targets against which they could vent the rage they felt after being over run.Seeing there was nothing more that she needed to do, Datto ordered the squad leaders to fire at will.After the first anti-tank rocket was launched, Datto called for her radioman, took the hand mike from him, and called to her platoon sergeant for an update.

Back on the hill where Phollia had left her, lieutenant Ong listened to the reports to Phollia and plotted them on her map.Even though she hadn't asked for it, Ong decided that Phollia needed some artillery to support her counter-attack.Satisfied that she had a handle on the situation, she called to her sergeant to contact the FIST teams and request fires on two preplanned targets that would cover the gap.The sergeant, leaning over to confirm the target numbers Ong had given him, asked if they wanted to cease their bombardment of the enemy tanks and mobile suits that had been supporting the river crossing.Ong looked at the sergeant, then at the map." Tell the FSO with the FIST team,that if the guns can fire both missions, then yes, keep up suppressived fires on the enemy tanks and mobile suits.If not, shift all fires into the gap."

Giving Ong a thumbs up, the sergeant began to process the calls for fires using his digital message device, a keyboardlike device that tied directly into the FIST team Tac display system; when minovsky particles was not interferring.While the sergeant did that, Ong called Phollia on Alpha Company command net, notified her of the actions, and reminded her the FIST team was on the ball and doing its thing.

l

Stuck in the middle of a clustered of Vosgoves and Thrankers, the Guild's second echelon commander realized that they were in serious trouble .Opening his hatch, he watched as anti-tank fire he had assumed had been silenced resumed.He was about to order the follow-on platoon commander to shift one platoon to engage the enemy anti-tank gunners in the woods on their flanks when that platoon commander called over the radio net that enemy mobile suits were coming up from behind the woods.Jerking his head to the front right, the commander watched as four Thrankas were blown apart by high calibre machinegun rounds, two Vosgoves immediately followed suit.The Guild commander bulked, just like that, eighty Guild soldiers dead in the blink of an eye.Hit from the front by enemy tanks, MTRs and infantry on high ground, and now mobile suits of all things and dismounted infantry on the right, he saw no choice but to order all surviving vehicles to move left and take refuge in the woods on the other side.

By now it was to late to salvage much, command and control of the battalion disappeared in a matter of seconds as the second- echelon company collided with the remains of the lead assault company and mingled, just as Phollia with the mobile suits came upon there flank and fired.That this happen just as the dismounted infantry with Datto opened fired with anti-tanks rockets and the first volley of artillery shells began to rain down on the gaggle of Thrankas and Vosgoves was pure luck, nothing out pure luck.

l

Using the woods and the Grave's specialized minovsky particles dispersion ports to mask her commands approached from the supporting Guild tanks and mobile suits still sitting on the other side of the river searching for worthwhile targets to engage, Phollia began the methodical process of destroying the remains of the Guild MRB, those that surrendered were quickly secured, those that showed the barest signs of resisting, where dispatched without a second thought.

l

The message of the Guild attack against Alpha Company was immediately relayed to two seperate LFA hidden communication stations, and within nine minutes and fifteen seconds, that information was being handed to him on a white message form by Lugano Errot.

General Velaz glanced at the white form in his right hand and leaned back heavily against the chair on the bridge of the landbattleship Tera Cias, sighing he turned to face the communication officer at her station as the rest of the bridge crew turn their eyes towards him, waiting." SandStorm," he said, then turned to Errot." There's no turning back now."

Even before the last syllable had escape Velaz loosed lips, the communication officer had swivel in her chair and repeated the same word on half a dozen frequency, before turning back to face the General." Its done, sir."

Ten kilometers west of Tera Cias base, crunching in various locations and positions, and in the midst of last minute system checks to changing of ammunition types, the word SandStorm was broadcast on dozens of monitors, radios and communication screens for less than two seconds and vanish just as quickly as it appeared. Without a peep amongs them, 15 ERS-06B Graves, 12 TMS-17B Lupus Bs, 9 TMS-17G Lupus Ds, and along with four TMS-17S Lupus Commander Types of the 3rd Battalion began to seperate into component units and began advancing forward, their hands, backpacks, hip mounts and leg mounts loaded with weapons.They followed a preplanned route and began fanning out at designated marked areas, with an equal number of MTR armored personnel carriers following close on their heels. Behind them, a dozen old surface to surface missile launch vehicles under the cover of minovsky particles, began elevating their missile launchers in preparation.

l

First Lieutenant Chines FeAnel CO of the FeAnel Team, 2nd Mobile Rifle Company, 119th Mechanized-Rifle Battalion, awoke late in the morning.He showered, dressed and walked outside, the sky was blue and clear of clouds, not a hint of rain; not that he expected rain.In the two months since being transferred to Lucan, he had yet to witness more than a five minute shower and the last one had seem like it was weeks ago.Sighing at his misfortune at being given a mediocre post, he silently wondered to himself what sector his three mobile suit team would draw up to patrol today.

Well.The First Lieutenant reminded himself that two seperate four hour patrol per day was a lighter load, compared to a month ago, when he had first arrived in Arnes and a fresh lieutenant out of the academy.This afternoon of course held another boring patrol of Arnes eastern sector.He concentrated on completing that task for the moment, once that was out of the way, he could spend the rest of the day in Arnes town, where the drinks were watered down and the local females flocked to you; so long as you had a heavy wallet.

The briefing took thirty minutes.Three mobile suit teams would patrol to the eastern sector: one platoon for each zone.As the team-leader of the newest platoon, he drew last and of course got the lousiest zone, Red Zone.

FeAnel leafed through his briefing paper to check for any irregularities, then tucked the one page sheet into his back pocket.He and First Lieutenant Gage Idles CO of Idles Team, left together.Their mobile suits were located in the same hanger.It was a short, quiet walk.They arrived just in time to see a TSG-19/A2 80mm Shotgun being placed in Idles Lupus Ds right hand.

" Don't look so glum, when I first arrived here, I had to patrol Red Zone five, six times a week," Idles said.

" You expect me to believe that shit."

" Of course not, but it sounded good saying it. Look's like my suit's just about ready.Be nice to see some action, even if its just a guy with a cocktail." Idles chuckle.

FeAnel didn't find it amusing, the 119th MRB never saw any action, not like those guys in the 29th Terrestrial Fleet or the poor souls at the frontlines in Deikumia Foundation.The 119 MRB was for all intent purposes was a garrison unit, sent in to monitor and maintain order in a backwater town and had simply been forgotten.New equipments and fresh parts were harder and harder to come by, it was only a matter of time before they were totally forgotten, if they hadn't been forgotten already." With our luck, the war'll be over and we still won't see any action." Idles and FeAnel shooked hands as they always do just before a patrol. A minute later Idles was climbing inside his Lupus Ds cockpit and FeAnel watched for a second longer.

With great reluctance, FeAnel turned slightly and moved over to his own Lupus D, where Sergeant Ordon Merson and Private Tigram Valent were kneeling in front of his mobile suit studying a map spread out on the floor.Walking up to one side of the Sergeant where he could see the map, FeAnel made his presence known without interfering with the discussion between the Sergeant and Private.Though both of them realized that FeAnel was there, neither acknowledge him or broke off the discussion that had been in progress.

But today FeAnel woud have none of this constant insubordination, moving in front of the two men and stepping on the map, he glared down at them." We patrol Red Zone in...five minutes," FeAnel said taking a quick glanced at his watched."Now unless the both of You want to sleep in the brig when we get back, I suggest we get this over with and then and only then, you two can get back to dicking around on the floor."

Sergeant Merson not please that the squad leader had damage his map, glanced up with murder in his eyes and lower lips sucked in tight between his teeth, then sighing loudly, merely shrugged and rosed." Hop to it Private."

Private Valent glanced once at the Lieutenant and then at the Sergeant, not waiting for a repeat of the orders he had been given, disappeared towards his Lupus B.With Valent gone out of sight Merson turned to the lieutenant and said through clench teeth." You owe me a map, Lieutenant, sir." As he folded his map carefully and half saluted heartly before turning towards his own Lupus B.

Satisfied his orders had been obeyed, FeAnel turned and climbed the wooden ladder toward his Lupus D cockpit hatch and into his seat, as always the mobile suit was warmed and ready to go, flicking a switch, he closed the hatched plate and stared at his main view screen, the inside view of the hanger was as sharp and clear as a black-and-white photo in daytime, before glancing once at his weapons list, a TMG-20/R1 76mm heavy machinegun in each hand, a T-S/28 heat sword on its right hip and two spare clips on his waist armor slots.He gripped the twin sticks and entered a few commands using his fingers rapidly and depressing the foot pedals lightly.With ease the TMS-17G Lupus D began moving forward, beside and behind him, Sergeant Merson and Private Valent's Lupus Bs followed suit.

Almost the exact moment as his Lupus Ds foot stepped half way out the hanger, the base's alarm klaxons began screaming out. Seconds later, still confused and unsure of what was going on as this was a new and unfamiliar sound. FeAnel watched as every anti-air defense stations opened fired into the sky at something that was out of his radar and visual range. Eight SAM and several anti-aircraft batteries stations appeared to be firing guns or launching missiles.

" What the hell," Emerson yelled over the open comm.On the main screen, FeAnel and Valent could only see the sky above become ablazed with missiles flying aimlessly through the sky, and boiling red and yellow from the clouds of anti-aircraft artillery shells sweeping the skies, it was as if a massive air invasion was under way.In seconds, every missile on its launcher was in the sky, and every shell had been fired...and what ever they where hitting, was exploding less than two kilometers from the small base and moving closer by the second. Several mobile suits exiting the bases four hangers had also opened fire and were joined in by those already outside, they even watched a Lupus D fired off its Empus missiles in tandem from its backpack hardpoints-- where those missiles were headed, FeAnel had no idea. Emerson could not believe the concentration of antiaircarft systems active right now, not since the invasion of Lucan had he seen such raw firepower in action.It was just as beautiful now as it had been then.

Unsure of what exactly to do, especially against targets he could not yet see, FeAnel ordered his team to hold fire and changed frequency." Tower Control this is Reco Leader, what is going on, over."

" Hostile missiles inbound.We have thirty-- make that twenty-seven inbound missiles!" the radar operator screamed over the communication net. FeAnel made a mental note to tell his immediate superior to tell his operators to remain calmer over the communication airwave.--that operator's voice had gone up at least one octave in the few seconds it had taken to make that quick report." Multiple heat sources detected two thousand meters and closing rapidly.Minosvky particles density raising."

That last bit of information was not needed as FeAnel could clearly see the converging blips on his radar monitor, half appeared as TMS-17Bs, TMS-17Gs, and several unidentifiable blips that could only be mobile suits, and those were moving ahead at a much, much faster rate of ground speed.Any second thoughts he had about what exactly was about to happen vanish, when those new Gyriq looking mobile suits easily eleven hundred meters distance opened fired with missiles, cannons, bazooka shells and machineguns, destroying half a dozen mobile suits, tanks, APCs and IFV, and the remainder of the 119th MRB engage them in return with direct lethal fire, while FeAnel ordered his team back and into hiding positions behind a burning hanger, as his own twin 76mm heavy machinegun rounds smothered a desert yellow and green colored Lupus B that popped in his line of sight, the Lupus B staggered backwards and collapse in a heap as explosions ripple across several buildings behind his Lupus D in rapid succession.

Fourteen meters to his left, Private Valent's Lupus B rosed to its feet and began back walking, while spraying ahead of it with the 76mm heavy machinegun, the 76mm stuttering in the Lupus B's hands, then the mobile suit began to dance as it was riddle with armor-piercers, but still remain defiantly upright, until a single high-velocity tracer punch a hole through its chest armor plating, exploding the mobile suit like a plastic toy. Shock at the lost of his team-mate, FeAnel decided it was time to full back deeper into the base, where the defense force appeared to be putting up more of a fight against the invaders.

A pair of Lupus Bs and a Lupus D was at the edge of the base's defense line spraying volley after volley, while trying to back step.They manage to get a few dozen meters before they were brought down by a hail of tracers and HE bazooka shells.FeAnel began to see their defense force began to falter.Most stopped shooting suddenly, others dropped smoke grenades and vanish into the artificial clouds of smoke made from the plastic white phosphorus.

FeAnel Lupus Ds mono-eyes shifted right and left, watching Series 61 main battle tanks burst into flames or Lupus Bs collapse under a hail of tracers, all around him his comrads were dying and he saw no way to sneak away, it was only a matter of time before his mobile suit was spotted.Unfortunately his active fire-control radar was a dead give away to his position, before FeAnel realized his mistake ten 125mm rounds landed around him, he felt the ground heave, followed by his mobile suit shuddering blewing sparks and suddenly a weightless sensation envelop his every being and his world went black.

l

Two kilometers southwest of Arnes on a small mound of solid hard rock, Colonel Renee Neral watched from inside the cockpit of her TMS-17S Lupus Commander Type as members of her 3rd Battalion assaulted the small base built in the fields southwest of Arnes.Those ground to ground missiles, even though they were harmless duds, had provided a nice distraction for the base antiair defense gunners and wasted alot of ammunition. The six hour estimation on capturing this base was a wild guess, at the rate her forces was moving in the base, this would be over in half the allotted time. But that didn't mean the Guild couldn't regain the initiative, as a Guild Mechanized-Rifle Battalion was numerically superior to an LFA battalion, both in manpower and military hardwares, but as long as they had the Guild on the run, they could do this.

She shifted the mono-eye turret to face the Grave of Major Estern Ditzel, her XO, who was at this moment watching the battle below with intensity." Order the 2nd and 4th Squad of the 8th Mobile Company to began clean-up operations, send in the 1st squad of the 5th Mobile Company as support.Then move the 5th Mobile Company to secure Arnes."

Normally one to immedately follow her orders in a flash, Maj. Ditzel hesistated." Shouldn't we wait until we've secured the Guild base before moving our forces to hold Arnes."

" Once the Guild began to realized they've lost this base, they'll punish Arnes as they make a run to Unterrem.I want to prevent that from happenning and at the same time reduce the number of Guild units escaping by as little as possible," Neral shifted her gazed towards the base as a pair of Graves took on half a dozen Thrankas and two Series 61 MBT with their 100mm machineguns.Within five minutes those two tanks and six Thrankas were burning and the Graves were moving on to other targets within the immediate area.At the corner of her screen, nine mobile suits and three MTRs darted around the base's outter perimeter and headed towards Arnes.

Things appeared to be moving along smoothly, while mentally Neral would have love to have the 3rd battalion continue on to Unterrem once they were done here, she knew better than to let her taste for victory overwelm her sense of logic, she knew full well her forces would need the time to rest and reload their ammunition supplies. No, Lotus and the 5th Tank Battalion would continue ahead to Unterrem as plan, but she had every intention of sending a mobile suit squad along for fire-support, fifty-six GR-81 main battle tanks and nine Graves was hardly enough to take on a Guard Regiment.

" Ma'am, reports are beginning to come in, the base's second defense line has been breached, the Guild units are falling back in all sectors, but we have two sectors still putting up a fight. The 6th Mobile Company is requesting support, Captain Mortom is reportedly killl in action." Ditzel reported without moving his Grave's mono-eye an inch.

' _Damn it, the CO of 6th Mobile Company_. Send in a reserve squad to that area immediately," Neral said through clench teeth. She began to regret her orders to move the 5th Mobile Company from that area so soon and send them to Arnes, they were supose to cover the flank of the 6th Mobile Company. A simple tactical error on her part, hopefully it can be corrected, cause it only took one rotten egg to spoil the whole bunch." Send another squad in that area as well."

l

After the an hour that saw vicious fighting, things began to settle down.Captain Phollia got out of her mobile suit to inspect the ongoing repairs to the Graves left armed.Four of the modified MTR ammunition carriers began re-supplying the eleven Graves gathering in the area, the crew used the rigged cranes to lift and mount a 310mm bazooka, two 100mm machineguns, two 'Closer' missile launcher, four grenades and a heat rapier each.To many weapons on a single mobile suit, but barely enough for the next operation Phollia reflected. Already the mounted infantry and MTRs , along with two captured Thrankas and a Vosgoves loaded with the injured were moving northward towards Vodina, where the rest of Delta Company was now gathering. The rest of the crews of Alpha Company were out searching the bushes and immediate area for any Guild survivors, mostly platoon sergeants, lieutenants and captains were captured, alive; preferably. All others were shot on sight, there was no room for remorse and or the resources to spent on baby-sitting prisoners of war that had no value, not to mention she didn't need prying eyes on her next mission which was already in the works. Beside as Phollia had told the crew, the only good Guild at the moment was a dead Guild, and no one had argued at that point.

" What's the prognosis," Phollia asked the tech specialist on her Graves left arm as a Lupus S came thundering towards the Graves gathering area, in the background a shot rang out, confirming another dead Guild soldier, probably a private surmise Phollia.

" Could be repaired in six hours, maybe five, but the left arms out of commission that's for sure," the tech specialist replied.

Phollia swore inwardly as she turned to watch a pair of MTRs loaded with more injured ( or dead) continued on. The Lupus S, knelt less than a dozen meter to her left and the cockpit hatch popped open and out stepped Captain Vesquez, he glanceds around once, sighting her, he scramble to the ground and walked towards her." Get me one of 2nd platoons Graves, give me a full system and weapons check. Tell the pilot, this is his suit for the day and to move out to Vodina as soon as possible."

The tech specialist nodded his head and went off to tell the unlucky candidate that his Grave had been re-assigned and he was no longer part of the next mission.

" How long before you move out," Vesquez asked upon reaching Phollia.

Phollia's amber eyes glance at the Graves and back at Vesquez." We move in ten minutes, what about Jalen Company."

Vesquez looked off in the distance as another shot rang out." Waiting on your injured, once they've link up, they'll proceed towards the border. The combat units will head towards Unterrem as planned, the rest of the units will guard the injured until they've been relieved.Are you sure you want to do this, our mission is complete."

" I'm sure, we just open a hole in the Guild's rear. I want to slip through before it closes." Phollia replied.

" Okay, we'll stay at Vodina until 1100 hours tomorrow. Do what you have to do and link up with us before then, if you can't, we'll head to Unterrem without as plan. Good luck with Azah base," without waiting for a reply Vesquez turned swiftly around and return to his Lupus S.

Phollia watched the mono-eye lit up and the mobile suit rose to its feet and thundered off to rejoin the rest of Delta Company.Turning to her own Grave, she watched a young private gazed at her longingly, but simply boarded her damage mobile suit without an argument. Sighing loudly, she moved towards the replacement suit and into the cockpit, it felt different, newer, lesss homely. The ERS-06B Grave slowly rosed to its feet and she flipped the comunication switch." Re-check your weapons status, because once we move out, I asure you, you won't have another chance to do so."

Phollia gived them another three minutes, before turning the Grave southeast." We'll move in a single file type formation, radio silence until further notice. Once we get to our designated area, get wet and get moving. The rivers depth is reported at eighteen meters for four kilometers, some areas it drops to as much as fifteen meters, check your surrounding before surfacing and remain at our planned rendezvous point until all units have assemble.These suits can operate for an hour underwater, its a forty-five minute travel time. Add the time. Any questions before we move out."

There were no questions. They had been briefed on the plan by her and General Velaz himself two days ago, they all knew the risk as well as the benefits of its success.Without another word, Phollia took point and headed for the Vesti river, now cleared of any Guild units as the rest of Alpha Company watched confused an unsure of where their CO and the Graves were headed.There's was only one thought running through their collective minds.That they weren't going along for the trip, because further south was one direction no one in their right mind woud want to go.


	10. Chapter 9

**Mobile Suit Gundam:Vanguard Blitz**

**Chapter 9**

The haze-gray helicopter appeared black in the hot, clear blue sky, moving only a few feet off the water toward the aircraft carrier ahead.Despite the heat, the heavy noise of the blades and vibrations of the fuselage lulled Colonel Sertiva Ge Orsini to a semisleep that was only kept at bay with determination and force of will.The chopper landed on deck, he could feel the change in the pitch of the engines.He looked out the small porthole and saw two Ra Laspers on deck, surrounded by half a dozen multi-color shirts running to and fro between the aircrafts.

The aircrewman came over to help him out of the rig that took the place of a crash seat.No luxury for military passengers, not even for the sake of safety.Orsini fumble with the seatbelt, grumble about the lack of comfort and then the aircrewman tugged it free;Orsini stood, tried to straighten, felt his body as a clumsy machine, heavy with fatigue.Groggily, he noted the smaller framed Lieutenant Geneda Gily coming into the main cabin, if only he had been smaller framed, he would have ridden in the cockpit.Lieutenant Gily glanced at him with concern.He stared back in mute anger, grabbed his bag and a helmet: a mobile suit pilot's helmet.Gily nodd to him as he passed.

" It was a nice landing," he said.

" The pilot has done this a hundred times and more." Gily replied.

" It was still an above average landing," he shouted, although he tried at the end, failing to reach him over the flight-deck noise and finding the discussion irrelevant to their purpose for being here.

A petty officer from Air Ops poked his head into the fuselage.

" Colonel Orsini?"

" That's me."

"Follow me, sir. The Admiral's awaiting your arrival."

Orsini swore and stepped from the chopper and became like any new arrival; he needed help to cross the deck; his sea legs had left him years ago.He followed around the petty officer, waited in the rush as a TRN-19F powered toward the waiting catapult, while half a dozen others were just sitting there on deck, their flight crews visible in the cockpit.Something was amiss, Orsini turned and followed his guide silently and briskly down the waiting catapult, and followed his guide down a hatch in the lower level that led into the Admirals command bridge.

El Virion was shaken out of his gloomy thoughts by the sound of boots coming up behind him and his operations officer shouting out.Pushing himself off the wall to his front with a foot. he swung his seat around, stopping just as General Aldeno left his desk and approached him with the two Elite Syber Force officers to his back right. He had been informed earlier to expect them and ordered to make them comfortable while they were here; personally he would have prefered to have them shot and thrown overboard and openly denied they had ever arrived.

For a moment no one said anything as El Virion looked the Elite officer over.His ruddy face and pilot's helmet in his right hand and bag in his left told El Virion that this guy was a pilot and was expected to do so.He was about to ask what had brought them here in the middle of the ocean, when the lead Elite barked." I am Colonel Sertiva Ge Orsini and this is my assistant Lieutenant Geneda Gily Elite Syber Force Intelligence Bureau.We're investigating the freighter that brought several new types of mobile suits into BolZie Harbour earlier this morning. I understand there was an operation to capture or destroy those suits.Was it successful."

From his place in front of Orsini and Gily, Aldeno answered quickly." It failed miserably."

Turning to Aldeno, Orsini fixed an angry glare on Aldeno. In a voice that was firm and told Virion that he was not to be taken lightly, Orsini spoke slow and deliberate." Explain."

" Colonel Orsini, as I'm sure you've notice, we are in the midst of preparing for the invasion of Kalaro and the outter islands.The operation at BolZie harbour has already been filed. If you wished to review the report, please do so at your leisure," Virion spoke. The man maybe an Elite Colonel, but he was still just a colonel.

Orsini eyes narrowed, he knew there was no way he could order an admiral to obey his command, not without contacting the Elite Syber Force Supreme Commander himself, so mentally he excepted his defeat, but that didn't mean he would simply give up after getting this far. He nodded at Gily." Gather the reports." Turning to the Admiral." With your permission of course."

El Virion hesitated and finally nodded his head, while turning to Aldeno." See to it that our illustrious guests are given an officers quarters and not to be desturbed."

Saluting crisply. Orsini pivot on his boot heels and turn around, took three steps forward and turned his head back." When does the invasion begans."

" At exactly fifteen-hundred hours...today,"Virion replied, while swinging his chair to face the window as the two elites march out.' _First a freighter goes to BolZie harbour, one we never detected or was aware of, that was supposedly carrying new types of mobile suits, then Raden loses an entire squadron against these new suits and suddenly the Defense Counsil wants us to take Kalaro Isle. After I've been waiting three days for those same orders and now the Elite Syber Force is here.Somethings not right, not right at all_.'

No matter how much he tried to shake the thought away, Virion suspected there was something else going on. His only concern at the moment was will that something effect his mission to take Kalaro isles. Only time will tell.

l

" That old weasel," blurted out Gily the moment they were inside the twin bunked quarters." We're elites, we don't have to take this shit from some fishermen."

" Calm down lieutenant," Orsini ordered, and watched as Gily took a seat on the lower bunk." We're visitors here, let the admiral do as he pleases here.Find out what happen at BolZie."

Gily tilted his head slightly." What exactly are we going to do about those LFA units in Kalaro Isles."

Orsini smiled slightly, not a warm, but a cunning knowing smile." Its time we began making our own moves to end this, while the navy and air force concentrate on taking that island, we'll send some of our people to deal with those LFA units."

" Who do you have in mind," Gily asked, jumping to his feet.

" Not sure yet. The invasions set for fifteen-hundred hours, we'll have to find a unit that can make it here in time. Thats your second task while you gather those reports."

Gily nodded his head, saluted and left the room.

Orsini watched him leave at the corner of his eyes, while his own mind search a seemingly endless list of ESF units operating within range of Kalaro Isles.All of those units of which came to mind, none would get to Kalaro isles before the invasion began, mentally leaving the task of finding an ESF unit to assist in his mission in capturing or eridicating that LFA unit to Gily. He switch his thoughts onto the TMS-19B Gizen (r), somewhere out there is prey lurked, hidden from preying eyes, had the pilot abandone the suit once it had run out of propellant, or was it now in the Foundation hands, their technicians disassembling it as he sat pondering to learn its secrets, he sighed not knowing was a pain in itself." Once we deal with those LFA units on Kalaro Isles, finding you will become our next top priority."

l

Colonel Veoha and Kailyn were interrogating the captured Lupos Stratus pilot; in actuality Veoha was asking the questions, Kailyn simply stood in the far corner and watched, his mind endlessly wondering if he shouldn't have simply shove his Seraph blade into the cockpit and kill this Guild off.The pilot was a young man, no older than twenty, he was shirtless, tied to a chair by a rope that passed under his arms and ended with a knot tying both his hands behind the chair.His face was so swollen that he could not have opened his eyes.Blood from his mouth covered his chin.His body was discolored with bruises from a dozen different hands and fist; not discluding boot heels.One arm hung at an odd angle, apparently dislocated at the shoulder when the Lupos Stratus had crash landed on the ground.

Veoha was asking." What is the composition of your fleet. When is the invasion set to began.Why is the Guild Ministry so interested in Kalaro."

The pilot showed no sign of having heard the questions or merely choose not to speak.

Kailyn shrugged from behind Veoha, suppressing his rage to strangle the Guild.Its was as he had expected.This Colonel and those interrogators an hour earlier were not suited for this task, they were in one word; soft.His mind wondered to the eleven comrads he had left behind_; no abandone_.All dead now, stave one. He had no intention of reuniting pass training, glories or companionship, those were unnecessary thoughts that would eventually lead to doubts, hesistation or worst of all weakness. It was his weakness that had cause Rouk and Oban to lose their lives and it was his weakness that had allowed that Guild bitch to escape.

If their was one reliable rule of interrogation was that everyone could be made to talk in the end.Veoha and his staff were to patient and acting as if they had all the time in the word.He knew better, the Guild attack on Bolzie was a testament to that, twice in a matter of hours.No they were coming, if not today, then tonight, that much was certain.Kailyn stared at the back of Veoha head.Slowly he began to put himself in a cold mental state.He would need to be completely hard-hearted and calculating.He could not allow himself to be touched by the physical and mental suffering he was about to inflick on this Guild pilot.All that matter was whether it worked.He closed his eyes and felt a profound calm settle over him, a familiar bone-deep chill that he had no idea to this day what cause it.Opening his eyes he looked at Veoha again.

No one could succeed every time, and this was war and when leaders fail, people died.It was a hard fact, but still he still cast about for consolation.He didn't want to do what he had to do, but if this pilot knew anything about the Guild's invasion plans or date, they needed to know as well.Kailyn turned to the door, open it and stuck his head out.The two guards outside turn their heads at once."Get me a cup of salt, a pitcher of milk, and a pitcher of water with icecubes, two thin cloths and two devil pepper."

The guards looked each other and stared back at him, a look of pure confusion across their face." Salt and pepper, sir."

Kailyn nodded and closed the door, and turn to face Veoha." What has he told you."

Veoha looked away embarrassed." Nothing."

Kailyn went to the young pilot just a year or two older than himself." Keep you mouth close for as long as you want, in a few minutes, I'll know what you know and alot more.Want to know the best part, your not going to feel good until you talk."

There was no response.

He turned around at a knock at the door.Finally.The guard was standing outside with his water, milk, cloths, salt and two large red berry-looking peppers. Veoha, coldly furious, ask." What are you planning to do with those."

Kailyn pulled out a chair with his empty hand instead and place the contents on the table slowly, well aware that the prisoner was eyeing each item with confused curiousity, before saying."Please be seated, Colonel."

Veoha was furious at being invited to sit in his own interrogation room, but he decided to let it go and simply watched, the Guild had offered no information, except name, rank and serial number, and had not utter a word since.If this Black Knight could get him the information he desperately wanted, then so be it.

Taking one cloth Kailyn approached the Guild, his eyes following Kailyn, meeting his eyes with a cold emotionless glared, but said nothing as he was blindfolded the prisoner.Satisfied the prisoner wouldn't be able to see what was about to happen, Kailyn poured salt into his hands until it overflowed; the crystals falling free to the concrete floor and without hesitation tilted the Guild head back and when he gasp, stuffed the salt into his open mouth, as through giving powder to a dog and tied the mouth shut. At the corner of his eyes Veoha nearly rose to his feet, ready to stop him but recline himself and remain seated.

The prisoner turned his head right and left, his groans muffled by the cloth, but he was unable to stop himself from writhing in agony, and he was in agony, there was no hiding that, but unfortunately it was just the tip of the iceberg." Did you know that the devil pepper is also a very tasty berry, if prepared right." Kailyn removed the blindfold, the pleading glare he got in return told him the prisoner didn't care about that at the moment, he wanted freedom from his discomfort, but not so badly that he was ready to reveal what he knew.

" Yes indeed, of course no one in their right mind would ever think about taking a bite of one in its unprepared state." The pilot stop squirming for a second; his eyes watered with pain, and Kailyn knew the Guild was getting the picture, slowly, but surely and his eyes widen in painful fright." I've heard some guy actually died trying to disproved that devil pepper can be eaten raw.I've always wanted to see if thats tru." Kailyn tilted his head back to Veoha." What about you Colonel."

Veoha looked up in surprised, shock and confusion." Wha...oh yes. Of course I don't believe that bullshit."

" Guess we'll have to disproved that," Kailyn muttered, slowly placing the pitcher of water on the table, at the corner of his eyes he watched the prisoner following the water with sever interest and lifted up a devil pepper, the prisoner's eyes switched to a pleading stare fulled with muffled moans.Kailyn leaned and looked directly into the prisoner's eyes. Kailyn said softly." Remember, only you can make this stop before we began."

There was pause.Kailyn dipped the devil pepper into the picture of milk and quickly without hesistating, bit and swallowed it without allowing his tongue to graces its reddish oily skin.The Guild eyes bulked in surprise and shooked his head sideways in rapid succession. It was there in his eyes, fear and uncertainty, but most important confusion. Whether it was from the salt in his mouth and lack of water or the fear of forcibly eating a devil pepper, Kailyn didn't know.

Humming while his insides began to burn, Kailyn blindfold the Guild prisoner once again and walked over to the corner of the room, where two steal tipped wooden baton layed, picked up one and moved back towards the prisoner." Just a reminder, your government failed to declared war on Kalaro Isles. Now while you thought you were protected by the Thorian Treaty, I'm afraid your not."

A look of fear run across Veoha face as Kailyn walked to prisoner's right side, then, taking careful aim, struck hard at the Guild's elbow with the steel end of the baton.The prisoner gaved a muffled scream of pure agony ( swallowed a large amount of salt) and shuddered in the chair as he straggled with his restraints.

With careful aim, Kailyn struck at the prisoner's muscles shoulder, then his hand, then his ankle.Kailyn paused between blows, just long enough for the pain to ease a bit and for the prisoner to fear the next strike.The prisoner began a muffled series of appealed and Kailyn removed the cloth around the prisoner mouth and moved aside as the prisoner begged, his salt filled saliva spraying atop the desk." You can't do this, please. Dont do this," he begged, hysterically with pain and fear.Kailyn waited, allowing the begging to continue." Please don't hit me again.," the Guild cried.

Kailyn ignored his plea, for him all he saw was Rouk's blood soaked body and Oban's last moments of agony.This guy was a Guild and the Guild would pay, taking extra careful aim, he swung strongly.The impact on the shin as it broke was loud enough to be heard outside.The prisoner screamed and fainted.Kailyn picked up the pitcher of ice cold water that rested on the table and poured it over the prisoner's face.The prisoner came to and scream again.

Eventually, the scream subsided to heartrendering groans." What do you want from me?" the prisoner implore." Please, tell me what you want from me!"Kailyn didn't ask any questions, but Veoha quickly stood, his chair screeching on the floor." When is the invasion set to began."

The prioner hesitated in between groans and cries of agony and quickly said." At fifteen hundred hours today."

It was a break through.The first question was always the hardest.The rest would followed effortlessly.Concealing his satisfaction, Kailyn nodded to Veoha that he was done here, but got no reply and shrugged as he moved towards the door, his stomach burning uncontrollable.Veoha continued." Who's leading the attack."

" Its..sniff... a joint Navy and Air force operation, but the admiral in charge is Fayle El Virion."

Without a glanced back, Kailyn walked out the room, pass the two guards that suddenly gived him a wide birth and walked outside into the open air.Walking as he rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand, he made it as far as the shrub of trees, before his stomach heaved and his throat poured its contents into the shrubs.

l

The battle had become deadly at the edge of the western sector, where the remnants of two Guild mechanized-rifle companys had taken up defensive positions.On three seperate occasions the 6th Mobile Company had attack the Guilds holding this position, and on the third attempt with elements from the 7th Mobile Company had over come it.The burning wreckages of four Lupus Bs, one tank and three Graves, each littered with dozens of 76mm heavy machinegun rounds, a testament of the vicious fighting still going on, but at a lesser scale than it had been an hour earlier.

But still at ten or so different points, at the south and west, the battles was still raging on at close quarters.In some spot both Guild and LFA units were out of ammunition and were battling with melee weapons.A LFA mobile suit supplied with fresh ammo would arrived on the scene and fire a burst from his 100mm machinegun at the first opportunity, destroying the Guild unit and robbing his comrad of a kill.

A dozen units made up of Thrankas and Lupus Ds suceeded in esaping the base, but their commanders anger at their sudden defeat, change course towards the town of Arnes in hopes of exacting some sort of revenge on the citizens. But Colonel Neral, having expected such a development had long since sent a company into Arnes to prevent this exact thing from happening.

Crouching motionless in squads of threes and fours, the mobile suits of the 5th Mobile Company, waited in defensive positions covering the entire north to west areas of Arnes.They waited until the Guild mobile suits got within two hundred meters, before they open fired.Their weapons spat out tongues of flames.Every now and then a 100mm round would struck a vital area and the Guild mobile suit would exploded into a fireball.

These isolated engagements went on for over an hour.Some small groups which had been force back into the open ground, with no where to escaped surrendered quickly or powered jumped in hopes to escape, but a _'Closer_' missile or 310mm bazooka round usually blew them apart in mid-air.

The battle ended at 1332 hours, while the the 8th Mobile Company secured the high grounds fifteen kilometers southwest of Arnes, the remainder Companys deployed a heavy patrol screen that surrounded the town of Arnes and the former Guild base for a dozen kilometers, while the totals losses was counted and the prisoners were secured in one of the unburnt mobile suit hangers.

Only nine Thrankas and six Vosgoves had suceeded in escaping with their troops and would likely reach Unterrem safely.Those were all that remained of the 119th Mechanized-Rifle Battalion, which had spent the last few months parading through the street of Arnes on a daily basis as if they were the king of the land, and keeping a strick curfew that the citizens abide with out of fear more than anything else.Now those very citizens were cheering and making plans for a lengthy celebration long in coming.

Colonel Neral herself could now finally moved about the base now named,' _**Kuzur base'**_.A large number of fires was still burning, she saw.The base's fuel dump near the small airstrip was ablazed, but a few five thousand gallon tankers were left untouched,and she saw were guarded by a pair of MTRs.Captain Avik Clor, CO of the 8th Mobile Company met her as she was exiting her Lupus Commander Type.

" Kuzur base is fully secure, Colonel Neral!" he proclaimed.

" What's the casaulty list?"

" We fought hard, but the Guild had numbers on their side as usual and they wouldn't give up.We have twenty-one mobile suits down, and out of those seven can be repaired and be combat capable in forty-eight hours. Seven tanks lost and three MTRs.We're gathering the Guild bodies, we'll place them in a few captured Thrankas and send them to Unterrem with the injured like you ordered within the hour."

" Any of the mobile suits escape?"

" None that we can confirmed, we did captured three Lupus Ds and a shit load of fuel, ammo and spare parts for them."

" Send one Lupus D to Tera Cias base, its almost impossible to capture a Lupus D intact. Our tech guys can learn alot from one." Neral waved her hand to the west." Get some radio and radar transmitters set up, real and fake, SAMs and anti-aircraft battery.I want a command and control tower setup in the north, west, and south perimeters, and one in Arnes. One Mobile Company per tower.Colonel Lotus and the 5th Tank Battalion are on their way here, make sure your people have the fuel points set-up as per plan. As of this moment Kuzur base is now our secondary logistical and support base, so get it cleaned up and organized."

Captain Clor nodded saluted and began barking orders to a collection of loosely dress soldiers, who immediately began scurrying about once their orders had been receive.

Neral walked back to her Lupus Commander Type amidst grins and cheers. Fourteen mobile suits out of commission permanently. She had predicted a higher lost than that and was silently greatful she was wrong, there just wasn't enough MS in the LFA arsenal to go around replacing lost MS at will. It could take weeks before replacement mobile suits were given to the 3rd Battalion.Thankfully the three captured Lupus Ds and two squads from Tera Cias would cover the gaps left by the fourteen lost ones.

When the Lupus Commander Type strodded to her command post, Neral exit the cockpit and went directly to where Maj. Ditzel and her operation officer sat reading through the reports.

" Everythings ahead of schedule. We have enough Guild mobile suit weaponary, ammounition and fuel to carry us forward until a proper supply line is setup. Reports from Tera Cias is that the operation across the Foundation border was a completes success, those units will be within striking distance of Unterrem city by seventeen hundred hours."

Neral thought hard on that.Unterrem was now easily an hour away at a tanks maximum ground speed of 95 kph, which gived her three hours before the next phase of the operation was set to begin and to fully secured Kuzur base, and have defensive countermeasures in place.But her instincts told her she didn't have three hours, if she was the Guild commander in Unterrem, she would launch an attack as quickly as possible to retake Kuzur base." Damn it. Send word to Lotus to get here as quickly as possible and assemble the company commanders.We maybe having company sooner than we thought."

l

Colonel Tunados Brium, commanding the 114th Guards Regiment and the operational sector of Unterrem, heard about the attack at Safovis base less than two minutes after leaving the conference room of his H.Q after two hours of an endless cycle of briefing, reports and requests, and at the end of it all, he got none of what his regiment desperately was in need of.

He merely sucked in his teeth and demanded more information as he march to his office on the top floor; which was the fourth floor of the Governor's House in Unterrem city.The Colonel's aid immediately run off to gather information, leaving Colonel Brium and his XO Major Serena Alcova to sit alone in the office. Maj. Alcova poured herself and the Colonel two ceramic cups of the steaming hot coffee and took a seat across the desk and turned to face him." An attack at Safovis base, thats near Arnes, the 119th is there aren't they.They can handle it."

Brium took a sip of coffee, savoring the strawberry like flavor for a moment, before placing the cup on the table." Arnes."

He stood and went, with his fists on his hips, in front of the huge map marked with red and blue lines which stretched across the end of his office. He had no idea where Arnes was from memory and took a minute to find the markings of the 119th MRB and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets at the distance from Unterrem to Arnes, just as someone knock outside his door and his aid, Lieutenant Nister Corel entered with a note pad of hastily written notes.

" Safovis base and Arnes has fallen."

Alcova jumped to her feet." What do you mean Safovis base has fallen, there's an entire battalion station out there. It would take a large force to take on Safovis base and there hasn't been a report of a large enemy force in the area."

" We've lost all communication with Safovis and Arnes, from the reports we're getting from the survivors currently on there way here. It was a large force, at least battalion strength," Corel answered.

Brium paced up and down his office. He was thinking:

" Who are they, they can't be Deikumians.How can a battalion size force assemble without us knowing about, intelligence really screwed up this time.No matter, they're at Arnes and must be dealt with swiftly, but carefully.If they can take out an entire battalion in so short a time, they must be well armed and have already considered engaging our forces as a possible outcome."The colonel, still striding up and down the room, found himself in front of a large photograph of a young girl in a military uniform which was hung behind his desk.

Alcova sat slowly in the chair and drum her fingers across the desk." It'll take time to assemble the troops, atleast an hour. Even longer to gathered proper intelligence. How do we proceed."

Brium stared at the map, his eyes tracing the contour lines and his mind calculating.It was years since he had personally commanded an attack element into battle." Fall in the whole regiment.We move off in one hour.Full load of ammo and fuel, but leave two mechanized-rifle company and one support company behind to maintain a presence in Unterrem. We'll take the second along with us.Seperate the remaining units into three mechanized-rifle company elements.One element will proceed to Arnes with the intention of recapturing and securing that location.Another element will moved directly northeast towards Safovis base and began a diversionary strike.I'll take command of the third element and combat drop forty kilometers west of Safovis and move in to capture Safovis base."

" What do we tell the divisonal commander," Alcova asked." Its only a matter of time before he finds out that Safovis and Arnes felled under our watch."

" One reason we must retake those positions as quickly as possible.I will not be considered an incompetent field commander." Brium slumped into his seat." We'll need air support and lots of it, what do we have available at our disposal."

" I know the sqaudron commander at Opan AFB, he's an old friend from the academy days.With your orders I can request a sqaudron of Y-18Ds for ground support," said Alcova.

" How soon."

" No more than an hour.He'll want details and credit, when we succeed of course."

Brium contemplated if he needed anything else for the upcoming engagement and came up blank.Clicking on the vid-screen to his operations officer, he began barking orders as Brium and Corel exit his offices to began preparing six of eight mechanized-rifle companys and one support company for rapid deployment into the field.

Unfortunately Brium had one major problem he was well aware of.Half his troops were fresh out the academy, who practice twice, maybe three times a month, saw little to no action.Everything they knew about mobile suit warfare was written in books and more often than not their instructors fail to warn them of the human side of the equation.Humans rarely acted the way you wanted them to, his current circumstances did not allow for a perfect operational plan; that would require time and intelligence, he had neither the former or the latter.His enemy was there at Safovis he knew that much, waiting, even plotting their next move.Full blooded combatants no doubt, his own troops were fresh out the oven bread that could easily crumble at the first sighting of artillery fire.

He just hope they held together long enough to carry out their mission, a failure here meant death and not always by the hands of the enemy.

l

" There's no way!!" snorted ESF Captain Stillen Ve Ohal, Captain of the Miska class medium sized mobile suit atmosphere carrier, and operations commander of the 7th Light Recon Squadron, code-named Requiem, Velcuz Squadron." My team's been airborne for almost two weeks now sir, we're due some leave in sixteen hours sir."

That was a bold face lie he knew, that would have easily landed him a date with a firing squad; had he been with the regular arm forces, but he wasn't.He was Captain Ohal, a member of the Elite Syber Force and he was beyond such danger.His team was more than fully rested.Standing orders gave them eight hours of sleep, an eight hour shift, six hours on standby, which also consitutes as ship and mobile suit maintenance period and two hours of personal time per day--like the true Elites that they were, their routine were constantly changing if only to suit their mission requirements.But as long as his team was going to be assign another reconnaissance or mundane patrol mission, his team would be in need of that upcoming leave.

" These orders came directly from the Defense Council themselves," said the voice of Colonel Orsini from within the built in communication screen and cockpit speakers, as Ohal leaned forward over the comm.officer's right shoulder." Proceed to the Isles of Kalaro immediately."

Biting his lip in frustration, Ohal slowly admitted defeat; an order from the Defense Council was as good as one directly from the Supreme Commander of the Elite Syber Force himself, it was not an order to refuse or question. Ohal turned his head towards the navigational officer, who was also the co-pilot of the ESF atmospheric attack carrier El Nino, the young officer immediately punched in the coordinates and brought up a highlighted map of an oval shape island on one of the communication officer's sub-monitors.

" What the..You want us to recon a piece of rock," Ohal asked flustered and angry. This was worst than his last assignment.

" This is no recon operation, captain," Orsini said, allowing the words to sink in for a moment as Ohal eyebrows arc upwards." This is a surgical strike to assist the air forces Eighty-fourth AirBorne Division in capturing Fort Nirka base of Kalaro Isles. But your primary mission is to locate and if possible captured at least one mobile suit of the Lucan Freedom Alliance currently hold up at that location.Our information confirms there are at least three, but one is all we require.Once Fort Nirka has been secured by the eighty-fourth, you can continue on your previous course."

" What kind of opposition are we looking at," Ohal asked, he was more than interested in this new assignment, but also very cautious, he had no intention of losing a member of his team on an unexpected operation." In terms of air and ground threats."

" No air threat, the Buchus Battle group has complete air supremacy. Anti-aircraft threats will be minimum at best, even now as we speak the admiral and his battle staff are preparing a massive air-strike to reduce that threat by another forty percent. Two air-motor rifle companys and a mechanized-rifle company from the marine amphibious unit will also be attacking Fort Nirka, with a Gritz class battleship providing artillery support.I'm also working on additional air asset, but those will be coming directly from Senna air force base."

' Three rifle companys, a battleship and other air assets.' That surprised Ohal--and worried him.Just what kind of threat would he be putting his team and the Elite Syber Force's four hundred million dollar aircraft into.

Orsini leaned back, away from the communication screen." There's a high chance the battle group will send in the amphibious landing force before you arrived, which should reduce the ground threat, but also eliminate the possibility of you completing your primary mission.We need one of those mobile suits captured as intact as possible, the pilot alived preferably, but not necessarily needed.These are new machines Ohal, as advance as the Lupus X.We need to know who built them and how many.The Buchus Battle Group begans its air-strike at exactly fifteen hundred hours, its landing force is expected to land within an hour later.The code word is Firestorm.Vellano out."

" Can we get to Kalaro isles ahead of the landing force."

Sergeant Calcom punched in a few keys on the keyboard, before answering." No doubt about it, at max speed we can be in Kalaro's airspace before the landing troops. Right behind the air-strike."

" Take us in at max speed." Ohal ordered, taking his place on the Captain's chair, overlooking the small bridge.

He brought out a topographical map of Kalaro isles on his arm chair monitor and examined it closely.The island was 198.4 kilometers in length and 79.5 kilometers wide. The land was flat in many areas, with several hills, tall trees and thick bushes.Lots of places to hide a SAM battery, but he had no intention of combat dropping right on top of Fort Nirka; that would be suicide.Plus, while his MS could handle such a high altitude drop, he highly doubt the other four could.He would have to land somewhere far and safe, preferably not to far from where the marine landing forces would be coming in; he would have to get that information as soon as possible.The El Nino was more than capable of providing a constant air support to the ground forces, with its two twin barrel 60mm cannons on each side, two six tube multipurpose missile launchers mounted under each wing and its compliment of 50 gravity bombs, it was not an aircraft to be taken lightly; but he had no plans to put the atmospheric attack carrier in potential mortal danger if he could avoid it, with only five Miska class currently in service, he would not be the first ESF commander to incur heavy damage on his aircraft and become a laughing stock of the ESF. He glanced at his wristwatch, it was 1355 hours.Already a plan was taking shape in his head.

The cockpit door leading to crew quarters and the mess hall to his back left open with a low hiss, First Lieutenant Lama Dale, CO of Team Requiem, walked to the right side of Ohal chair in two easy steps. He snapped to attention and saluted crisply." How long before we're home, sir."

" Your just in time lieutenant. Plans have change, we've been ordered to proceed to Kalaro's isles to join the Eighty-fourth Airborne Division in its invasion."

" I see," Dale said moving in closer to view the monitor, he was tall, black, and powerfully built, with cold, fiery dark eyes." I'll have Chief Bostev download what info we have into the simulator and run a few test. Get a real feed for the environment."

" Not enough time, we land in less than two hours.

" But, sir--two hours.Isn't this kind of short notice, we have no idea o--

Ohal suddenly interrupted, his voice hard." I'll be taking command of the team for this operation.Go inform Chief Bostev to get my Lupus X combat ready and be quick about it.Bring my team when you get back, we'll began laying out our plans."

" Sir, your the operations commander, I am the teams commanding officer, its unpractical and unneccessary for you to lead an asssult..

" Your relieve of your command until this operation has reach its conclusion.You can still take part in this operation if you so choose too, but, even so, remember that I am in overall command of the team on this mission. Is that clear."Ohal said coldly.

He was bluffing.He had no right to make such a decision.But he knew that the majority of the twenty-one crew onboard the El Nino would support and follow him, for to them he was the captain.The MS pilots may take the side of Dale, but none would ignore a combat operation.Not when they had spent weeks doing nothing but reconnaissance on Kazan's Regent Fleet's patrol movements and defense pattern.

Dale hesitated.Ohal heard the popping of his knuckles.Was he going to strike a superior officer.Such an act would be considered treason, but the trial would never get as far as prison: the traitors were shot.The ESF handle its own accounts and did not allow the law to intervene.Dale heaved a deep sigh, as through he was expelling all the air in his lungs, then saluted and scuttle out of the bridge to the door leading to the MS hanger at Ohal back right.He had excepted the change in command and obeyed.

A savage joy overcame Ohal.It was akin to the violent pleasure derived from possessing a woman against her will, or the breaking in of a stallion.He had just brought Dale to heel, as he had done Kerina so many years ago.

The memory of her body made him tremble against the leather seat, and at the same time he felt completely bereft and wanted to be sick.

" Sergeant once we know the exact landing area of the amphibious units. I want you to find a spot to land this bird within ten klicks of their LZ.Pilot give me a constant heads-up on our ETA to our objective," Ohal said, turning to the comm.officer to his right." Inform Chief Bostev to have Kerina at her best, this will be her first taste of battle after all.I don't need her being such a bitch.Then get me Colonel Vellano on the Buchus."

The communication officer chuckled and gived him a thumbs-up." You got it sir."

l

For exactly thirty minutes the airstripes of Senna Airforce base were empty.All around men scurried about, receiving commands down dozens of radio channels; planes were fueled, minor repairs given, ordance were loaded, checked for weight, released and then rolled to there designate airstrips.

The first to left off was a single AWAC, the long range eyes of the aircrafts preparing to launch.It rosed forty thousand feet above the ground and at a set altitude radioed a predetermine code-word; once its powerful radars had determine that their was not an enemy aircraft within two hundred miles in all direction.Almost immediately four squadrons of twelve TR-19Ds Laspers took to the air and seperated into sixteen flights of four aircrafts and remain circling overhead, waiting for the precious cargo they had sworn to protect less than an hour earlier.Before the last flight of Laspers had moved into an aerial position over Senna air force base, four AT-31s took to the air and immediately behind them, sixteen CT-30Cs rosed slowly, heavily loaded with there cargo.

Once off the ground the CT-30Cs, each loaded with three fully armed and loaded mobile suits of the 84th Airborne Division formed up into a square formation of four seperate flights of four CT-30Cs, one AT-31 and twelve TR-19D Laspers covering a hundred mile radius, before their slow turn face them southeast towards the LaGrange Ocean on one of a dozen flight paths prepared for them an hour ago.Weeks of preparations, studies and simulations had boil down to a seventy minute flight time.

l

Like all members of the Guild Army's 114th Guards Regiment, the young soldiers of 13th Mobile Rifle Company, 117th Mechanized-Rifle Battalion considered them selves the best of the best.This, of course, was due to the efforts of their officers and sergeants, all professionals who were forever vigilant, watching, checking, and ready to correct even the slightest infraction of the regulations or slackness.They took their duties seriously.Which was probably why no one had spotted their company commander, Captain Rilius Revfrem for several minutes as the platoon commanders were deeply involved in the company's final inspection.

As was his way, Revfrem had come forward alone to watch the final preparations and see his men across the line of departure for their very first taste of real combat.Known as the Hardcase, Revfrem made it a practice to move about during exercises in the field checking on his men and ensuring that all was in order.Now that his company had been call on to execute an operation it had trained three times a week, every week for the last two months for, Revfrem was confirming that all was well.

When one of the platoon sergeants noticed Revfrem, he passed the word to his team commander.When the word reached Lieutenant Cassau Felinka, he paused, then continued to complete the inspection of the Lupus D that knelt before him.Finished, he nodded to the pilot of the mobile suit and left to present himself to Revfrem along with three other MS team commanders.

" There hasn't been enough time to assemble enough information on who or how exactly Safovis base fell.What we do know is the force is at least battalion strength with never before seen MS and some or our very own MS, no doubt those that vanish wthout a trace during the last few months. But that should not deter you," Revfrem began." Our enemy is there, hiding and no doubt shaking in fear. We the thirteenth mobile rifle company, will move into Safovis base and remove the enemy quickly. Is that clear."

He slowly contemplate if launching a rapid assault without any real intelligence on the enemy was a good idea.Enemy depositions, mobile weapons, tactics and maneuvers were unknown and he was about to hurl sixteen MS pilots into that unknown.Glancing down at his watch, and impatient to began the operation immediately, the lieutenant asked if there was anything else.Without responding at first, Revfrem looked at the young lieutenant for severals seconds and then the others in order to refocus his mind on the situation at hand.Unable to bare sending his troops into the unknown, Revfrem simply shook his head; it was not his choice.With an expressionless face, Revfrem replied." No, there is nothing else. You have your orders. Began operation Safovis Light."

Satisfied that there was no change in the plan, Lieutenant Cassau Felinka ran up towards his Lupus S, while waving his hand to hurry the Felinka Team into their own MSs.With the sound of the rest of 117th Mechanized-Rifle Company already beganning their move northeast, Felinka knew he didn't have much time to get his team into their designated area of operation.Looking at his watch it wasn't even fourteen hundred hours yet, Felinka wondered if three Mobile-Rifle Company support by a Tank company would be enough to occupied the enemy's full attention, while Colonel Brium move in for the kill from the west.The noise of tracked vehicles and heavily ladden supply trucks rolling on ahead told him that that they had no choice but to do their best and reap the rewards afterwards.Of course this whole operation, from the moment they had had rolled out of the battalion headquarters to the receipt of the orders that had place them on the outskirts of Unterrem city at there staging area, while the rest of the battalion were shuffling north and east, had been fast pace. What, he had ask his platoon sergeant, exactly was commander Brium thinking.

Across the line, the sixteen MSs of 13th Motor-Rifle Company mono-eyes flash to life almost simulthaneous.With the objective less than an hour away at their MS maximum ground speed and of little trouble of getting mixed in with another MS team and adding to some commander's confusion on their match forward, Felinka's Lupus S walked the line ahead and shouted to his soldiers on the Team's to hurry up and move on.

l

As the last tank of the 5th Tank Battalion, 1st Erin Sol Bridage, pass the east side of Kuzur base, Colonel Lotus and his tactical command post entered the town of Arnes from the west amidst cheers and whistles forming on both sides of the streets.Mentaly happy to see his countrymen cheering, but subconsciously Lotus was anxious to complete his part of the plan and link up with the rest of the 5th Tank Battalion.The three GR-81, two MTR armored personnel carriers, and one MTR modified into a command post wasn't ordinarily much in the way of offensive firepower at first glanced.In a pinch, against anything larger than a MS team, the best Lotus could hope for was a soldiers death; if they were the normal set of military vehicles that they appeared to be.

Looking first to his right and then to the left to assess that the small platoon was in formation and moving ahead at preplanned speed.Satisfied, Lotus looked down to his left, he watched his XO, Major Kasban Thurman for a moment.Standing upright in the loader's hatch of Lotus GR-81 main battle tank, Thurman was leaning over his folded arms that rested on the flat face of the loader's 7.62mm machine gun while he looked to the front, keeping track of where they were going while watching for any sign of the rest of the battalion.Like Lotus, Thurman was wearing a cotton tee shirt and an armored crew's helmet.A high-powered field glasses on a string wrapped around his neck.Like every true blooded Lucanite who had travel with or within an armored vehicle and face the seering heat of eastern Lucan, both Lotus and Thurman had as little clothing as possible without being stark naked and still maintain the ablilty to function.

Thurman's desire to be up front where he could see what was going on had led him to plead and beg Lotus from the moment they had left Tera Cias base until Lotus had finally conceded.Lotus relied heavily on Thurman opinions and insights in the planning of his strategies amd having is XO at the front instead of the back in the command post would reduce the needed to communicate by at least several minutes; not to mention having a second pair of eyes that were as keen as his own wasn't bad either.

But at that very moment those very keen set of eyes were glancing from a map to the surrounding area, and back again.Finally after several minutes of this, Thurman popped inside the tank and vanish out of sight.

Looking down to his left as the small stocky form of Thurman disappeared, Lotus frowned and glanced back towards Arnes.The small town was easily a dozen kilometers away now and growing smaller by the minute, Lotus then twisted slightly in his open hatch until he faced his back right to make sure that the MTRs were keeping up.In his desire to get behind Unterrem in haste it was easy to forget about the slower, heavily burdened carriers.He was about to key his intercom switch to order the driver to slow down so that the rest of the command post could catch up when Thurman, in a voice that was confused, yet clear and concise, cut Lotus off." We're on the right track, but I don't see the fourth armored troopers tanks or their tracks anywhere."

Snapping his neck about, Lotus instantly focus on the trail ahead of them and the surrounding landscape for the telltail signs of GR-81 and MTR tracks on the same path his tank was on.While his own mind automatically flipped through a mental map of the 4th Armor Troopers direction of travel; unless those ten tanks and four MTRs manage to somehow fly over this trail, they had not pass here." Where the fuck did they go."

Thurman's replied sent a chill down Lotus spined." Guild Lupus-type mobile suit to the front, six hundred meters!"

With that warning out, Lotus's training as a tank commander took over.With a single seamless order, Lotus shouted directions to his three tank platoon in the form of an engagement command that did not come out as clear and concise as he would have liked.But that didn't seem to make a difference as the crew, including Thurman, responded to each element of the command."** DRIVER STOP! MTRs FALL BACK ONE HUNDRED METERS! ALL GUNNERS--BATTLE SIGHT--MOBILE SUIT. A.M.T FORMATION PATTERN DELTA V.**

The gunner, already alerted to the presence of an enemy by Thurman's acquisition report, had ease up on the throttle and was prepared to continue or stop when Lotus issued his fire command.With measured practice that took several months of intense training under Lotus watchful gazed to perfect, the driver eased up on the brake, bringing the massive tank to a smooth stop.Fifty meters to his front left and right, the two other GR-81s eased into formation at a faster rate of speed than when done in training.

The gunner, lulled into a state of sleep, had also been jerked to life by Thurman's warning.By the time Lotus uttered his first word, the gunner had his eye on the primary sight, and the thermal sight switched from standby to on.Months of training overrode any panic.Instead, his hand moved across the face of the primary sight's controls and knobs, ensuring by the feel alone that all was ready to engage the target.Though Lotus had announced battle sight, the gunner intended to range to the target using the laser ranger finder intergrated in the primary sight.In fact, the gunner didn't have to think twice about that as his right thumb automatically twitched and depressed the laser range finder button on the top of the gunner controls.This action caused the 120mm main gun to jump as the computer received automatically the correct range to the target, computed a proper ballistic solution to the tank's fire-control system, all done before Lotus had finish spitting out the last word of his fire command.

Thurman, steeled for action before anyone else, had dropped to the turret floor and plopped himself down on the seat he had been standing on.Reaching across, Thurman grabbed the long, crooked arm that served to arm the tanks main gun as well as deflect the wide base plate of the expended main gun rounds into the container hanging from the gun's breech.Finished with that, Thurman pulled his whole body over to the side to escape the recoil of the main gun and hung on to the handles as he had learnt.

As he sat there watching Lotus in the dim green light of the turret, he pondered whether he should ask what round Lotus wanted to load next but decided not to. Lotus mind, he knew, was busy contemplating various decision making process.Thurman knowing that they were facing a mobile suit, would load a high explosive anti-tank round next, once the APFSDS-anti-tank round already in the gun's chamber was fired.He would have to remember to announced that to the gunner so that he could change the ammunition selection lever on the primary sight and allow the fire-control computer to provide a new ballistic solution.But that was easy and worth the effort.

If there was any indication that there was more than one Lupus D, Lotus didn't see it.They were committed to taking Unterrem and one or more MS in front of him would not deterr his plan.Although he inwardly confess that three tanks up against a team of four mobile suits would be a one sided battle if he wasn't careful.After all, not only was the most critical locations of a mobile suit out of his tank's main gun's reach, his tanks rate-of-fire was much, much less than a 76mm heavy machinegun.But that was where his new tried and tested Anti-Mobile Suit Delta V formation came into play.While one tank's rate of fire was to slow, three tanks would more than make up for that slight defectiveness.But there was still a mobile suit's ground mobility and powered jump capability to contend with, and those were the areas Lotus had thought long and heard about.After six weeks of trial and errors, he had found a mobile suits Achilles heel when face with main battle tanks.

After a minute of contemplating, Loutus houted." **LOADER! ARE YOU UP?"**

Thurman, realizing his error, shouted," **UP,"** then silently cursed himself for being so stupid.

Lotus radio in had, shouted," All tanks fire, and fall back twenty meters. MTRs you know what to do,do it like we practice, no screw ups."Three gunners responded with." ON THE WAY" just before they pulled the triggers and the drivers immediately reverse throttle and moved the tanks back twenty meters while keeping formation.

The first engagement of the 5th Tank Battalion was over before the last of the reverberation from Lotus tank had died away.Like giant darts, those depleted uranium penetrators sliced through the armor plate of the left leg of the Lupus D.Thurman's doubts that the round would not be sufficient was only partially correct, as the depleted uranium penetrator, punch a chunk of the Lupus Ds left leg's own armor plating in front of it and out the other side.The tremendous heat created by the transformation of the penetrator's kinetic energy into heat upon contact with the Lupus Ds lower left leg set off the six hundred pounds of thruster propellant, blowing of its left leg by the knee joint, immobilizing the suit, but other wise intact and still as dangerous, but now its critical parts was fair game and Lotus gunner didn't wait for a fire command from Lotus.He simply pulled the trigger and blew a chunk of armor plating around its torso, the two GR-81s quickly followed suit, immmolating the suit in a blink of an eye with HEAT rounds.

With the Lupus D dealt with, Lotus now had to make a series of quick decisions.They were relative to his rank, and position, rather simple decisions.But that didn't make them any less critical.Knowing full well that Guild MS don't travel alone.Lotus knew there was more somewhere nearby, if not immediately behind the one he had just destroyed, which he suspected was a scout, because it had made no attempt to engage them.But that short engagement was a signal as any could be that they were here.

The cry of "** LUPUS Ds--3 OF THEM--ELEVEN O'CLOCK**," followed rapidly by." **FIRING FIRING**," caught Lotus by surprise but not for more than a second.

Instinctively he looked up to his front left and saw the three Lupus Ds weaving right and left as they tried to closed the distance between themselves and the tanks and get within weapons range.A predictable tactic." Now." Within a blink of an eye all three GR-81 main battle tanks vanish behind a cloud of white smoke that spewed out from their exhaust while firing their cannons.

l

The Guild MS team commander was surprised at the speed with which the tanks reacted.Almost as one, the tanks had turned and began to blow huge clouds of white smoke from their engines.The tanks began to weave about and firing.But that didn't matter, they were just tanks and three tanks was no match for three well armed mobile suits.

Leveling his 76mm machinegun, the team commander fired a burst into the cloud of smoke, mentallly hoping his tracers hit at least one tank, while his team-mates skidded right and left and closed in on the white clouds of smoke. This would be a cinch, but to his surprised the left Lupus D jerked back suddenly, was bathed in a shower of sparks, collapsed to the ground and began to spew clouds of black smoke, its head and torso bursting into flames.That surprise quickly turned to shocked as the Lupus D moving on the right flank, blew spark from its left hand as it was blown cleanly off and the commander, skidded his Lupus D to a stop and powered jump back a hundred meters as his team-mates Lupus D right leg was blown wide open below the knee joint, it collasped and a second later a high-velocity tracer round punch a neat hole in its torso.

' _What's going on...two mobile suits just like that_,' the commander staggered step his Lupus D backwards, frighten and worried mixed.His Team, the Walthos Team had been ordered to watch and report on any enemy flanking movements and report back, but the sight of three tanks and three MTRs was too good an opportunity for an easy kill score to pass up, by the time he had issued commands to engage, Sergeant Helna Uvis had felled victim to there main cannon.No surprised, there was little to no minovsky particles in the area and the tanks fire control systems was as deadly as there own Lupus Ds, her death was explainable.But Private Bannon and Private Sitom had been on top of those tanks and there's no way those tanks could have elevated their main cannons high enough to strike a vital area of those Lupus Ds.

Walthos mind told him there was more to it and it was best to retreat for now. Then he saw one Lucan GR-81 main battle tank with a large antenna emerging from the smoke cloud.He fired a burst of his 76mm heavy machine from a distance of a hundred and thirty meters and watched through his main screen as his tracers bounce harmless off the tank's thick frontal armor. He would have to get closer and used his higher height to punch down through the tank's lighter top armor. But two more appeared tanks, and took position on right and left of the commander's tank and drove ahead firing alternatly.

Swearing, Wathos skidded backwards another ten meters and leapt clear of the tracers, while watching the ground exploded into dust near his Lupus Ds right feet from the near-hits and it hit him." They're trying to destroy my legs.Of course, sneaky son of bitches.Time to leave." Suddenly, without any warning the ground in front oh him burst into fire, dirt and smoke as he walked backwards, the force from the explosion pushing his mobile suit back hard and on its back.

Shocked speechless, but alive, Wathos kicked his mobile suit to its feet using its thrusters and looked first at the commander's tank and then at each individual tank through the recticule as they closed in firing, something clearly was amiss.Then his eyes snapped open and he shifted his Lupus D mono-eye in the direction of the MTRs, that until now he had been unconcern about and watch as two round objects appeared, growing larger and leaving no exhaust trails.The impact of both high yield TOW-HEAT guided missiles came before Wathos could react and impact his Lupus Ds torso armor, toppling the suit over.A searing pain shot through Wathos body told him he needed to get out of his Lupus D.There was no real conscious thought.He didn't feel the pain or comprehend everything that had happened in the few seconds it took him to pop the hatch and pull himself out of the torso.Nothing registered.No pain, no thoughts.Not even when he rolled off the torso, hit the left arm, and bounced off it like a rag doll and onto the ground did he understand what he was doing.He blindly stagger and run towards the woods, mouth screaming as his Lupus D tore itself apart behind him.

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For a moment there was almost total silence at Lotus's position.It was a dull, numb silence that comes after you endured prolonged exposure to a deafening noise.The sudden firing of machine gun alerted Lotus to the fact that the battle wasn't over.He watched as a stream of tracers struck short, then walked a line into the Guild Lupus pilot trying to escape into the woods.As soon as the firer found the range, he let go a long burst into the center of the pilot's back.While some rounds kicked up dirt, a few found their mark, causing the Guild to plop down.

For a moment he thought of ordering the firing to stop.But it was already to late, the pilot was dead and so was their chance of gaining any sort of real intelligence about the Guild strength at Unterrem.Lotus switched his intercom back on." Ten minutes to resupply. MTR unit, well down.Get those launchers rearm as soon as possible."

If there was one thing Lotus had learned was that Guild mobile suits rarely went after MTRs, they prefer to deal with the deadlier tanks first and then moved in on the easy kills the MTRs afforded.With that single knowledge he had one or more MTRs with every tank platoon, while the tanks draw the mobile suits full attention, the modified MTRs with the antitank guided missile launcher mounted on a small turret, simply waited in the back, out of harms way; but well in range of its 3200 meters ( 1000 meters in a minovsky particle environment) medium-range tube-launched,optically-tracked, wire-guided-high explosive anti-tank guided missiles, or TOW-HEAT guided missiles, that were heavily modified to show no exhaust trails and as little heat as possible, which made it hard to spot until it was almost to late.

" Four mobile suits down," Thurman said with a cheerful grin as the tanks crew threw away empty shell casings and replace them with fresh ones from the two MTRs, while the MTR grews brought out six five gallon fuel canisters and began refeuling the tanks.

Lotus and Thurman snapped their heads back towards the southwest as a crash and rumble like distant thunder rolled over them.They could only see the trees and beyond those a hill.But neitherman needed to see to know what that distant noise was.The endless chain of distant crashes and rumblings, caused by dozens of guns, could only be the LFA preparatory bombardment on the Guild's forward positions.

Lotus snappped his wrist up to his face to glanced at his watch. Its was 1415 hours. The artillery elements of the 5th Tank Battalion had orders to begin artillery bombardment at exactly 1415 hours.Followed by the spear-head attack of the 1st and 5th Armored Troopers, supported by a MS team from the southwest at 1420 hours, while the 2nd and 3rd Armored Troopers attacked from the west at 1425 hours.Leaving the 4th Armored Troopers to come around and attack from the northeast at 1430 hours.

It was a near perfect tree prong attack seperate by fives minutes.He just hoped the combat units of Jalen company, which was reported to him earlier got to Unterrem and hit the Guild's northern flank at 1800 hours as was expected and made it a four prong attack.That alone would stretch the Guild lines and open a breach they could exploit if his battalion hadn't by then.

" Rearm and refueling's done." Thurman said.

" We're twenty minutes behind schedule," Lotus said signaling to the tank driver."Make haste and lets get to Unterrem city."

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" This is..." Kailyn glanced at the mission form and then back at Colonel Veoha as he sat behind his desk, with a sadden look on his face." You do know, no one has ever even attempted to pull something this stupid off."

" I'm aware of that. Its never been done before, because no one has ever had the opportunity to try it before."

' _For good reason too, its a suicide mission.Who in their right mind would want to tangle with one of those things one on one_,' Kailyn glanced back at the form he held, it was a tempting target to." Its alone and with no support."

" From what the Lupos Stratus pilot said, yes. It's the driving force behind the units being sent to Fort Nirka. We take it out and our chances to repel the Guild attack increase by at least thirty percent," Veoha said leaning over slightly, his eyes burning to Kailyn's." I can't order you to do this directly, being a Black Knight in all.This has to be your choice, but eliminating this obstacle will save alot of lives. Do you accept this mission."

'_ And end mines. Krill, this so call obstacle has more armor and offensive firepower than a mobile suit and twice as dangerous_," Kailyn alternated between looking at the form and outside the window contemplating.' _I should have argued to stay in space. Why'd Deleuz and Breton had to send us to this hell hole.Dozens of planetary systems out there and we get shipped off to this backwater world.They can't even build or research particle base weapons because of that Thorian Treaty. And now mom's somewhere out there doing who knows what and Krause's now an alcoholic. Now I'm suppose to take out a target that might as well be a Praetorian Empire's Estren class heavy cruiser using a mobile suit thats five hundred years below the technology ladder.I am so fucked_." I accept."

" I'm glad to hear that Lieutenant. I would wish you luck, but your the best man for the job and if anybody can do it. I'm positive it would be you."

' _Sure, put more pressure on me.If I'm lucky I'll last all of ten seconds_." Kailyn saluted as someone knock the office door to his baack left and his head tilted at the sound.

" Ahh my next guest has arrive.That'll be all Lieutenant," Veoha rosed and nodded at the door." Try not to get kill will you."

_Krill, as if,'_ Kailyn open the door and stared into the brown eyes of one of the LFAs pilots currently residing at the base; he stared as his mind search. If his memory served, this younger guy was the team commander.He shrugged and walked pass, he had things to do and not that much time in order to do it.

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Surprised, Athan stepped aside as his brown eyes stared at the amber ones of the officer leaving the Colonel's office.Those ambers eye and dark eyebrows were familiar somehow, he'd never seen that guy before that much was certain, but those amber eyes were an exact duplicate as the ones he'd seen on one of the LFA's company commanders.What was her name again, he shrugged it off, right now he had more important things to do.

" Is what I'm hearing tru," Athan asked out of breathe, he had just left Varl and Vicati in the midst of completing the final touches on their Graves.Thanks to Tabaro Wilisk, Vicati now had a new Gyriq's right arm and the minor repairs nearly complete.Their only obstacles had been weapons, Vicati was down to her last two 310mm Bazooka clips.Both of her 100mm machineguns had been destroyed during the course of their engagements with the Guild and was now using Neko's backup 100mm machinegun.Varl Grave's 125mm cannon was fully loaded, along with a fully loaded 100mm machinegun, but had to give up his backup 100mm machinegun to Athan, after having lost one of his own 100mm machinegun to the Lupos Stratus.

" If you mean about the Guild invasion that is set to began within the hour, yes its tru," Veoha said, leaning back against his seat." What do you plan to do, we have no transports, no way to assist you off this island and your comrads have yet to send a transport to retrieve your team."

" There has to be some way off getting off this place.We can't afford to be here when the Guild invasion begans," Athan was desperate, the chances of Kalaro's island repelling the Guild's invasion force was below ten percent. With those odds, there was no way he was going to get stuck here just to die.

" Fraid not.Lieutenant, your choices are few and time constrainted.Surrender to the Guild or simply help us defend Fort Nirka against them."Veoha said matter-of-factly.

" Your kidding me right.You chances are shit to none.You can't win by a long shot."

Veoha face twisted into something akin to anger and his tone of voice demonstrated it all to well." Chances, do you want me to tell you about chances. That pilot you just saw leave here.I just handed him a death sentence.He had the opton to refuse a mission I personally handed him and remain here with our defence force defending Fort Nirka, but you know what he did.He accepted the mission I gived knowing full well his chances was slim to none of completing it. Want to know why."

Athan mouth suddenly went dry as he stared at the pured hatred being aimed his way and he croaked." Why."

" Because I told him a bullshit line about if he suceeded, Fort Nirka chances of repelling the Guild's invasion force would increase by thirty percent.You know what my people tell me, even if by some miracle he does completes his mission, our chances will only raise to twelve percent.That's a measly eight percent increase compared to our current survival percentage." Veoha leaned closer, mouth spitting venom as he glared at Athan."I don't give a fuck what you do with your team, you can either fight, hide or die.That's your choice to make, now get the fuck out of my office and don't let me see your face again."

Athan didn't need to be told twice, he bolted out the door and took his leave.It was only when he reached outside and into the glare of the sunlight, that he stopped moving and stood still.None of them wanted to be here when the Guild invasion began, but there was no way to avoid it.They were out of time.The Guild were coming, sooner rather than later and no matter how he twisted it in his mind, they, the 4th Squad, Beta Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Erin Sol Brigade will be here on Kalaro isles when the first shells startd falling.What was he going to tell his team.

He knew Vicati would have a fit, she didn't like it here or wanted to be here.Varl would simply prepare himself to fight to the bitter in with no complaints.But what about him, what did he want.Most of this was his fault, if he hadn't attack that Guild airlift, chances were they would be at Fork Point and halfway to Lucan by now.What ever decision he made would have to be a team choice, he couldn't order Vicati or Varl to fight in the defense of Fort Nirka, that choice would have to be theirs and theirs alone.He slumped towards Hanger 3, his mind wishing there was an easier way to tell his team-mates that they were fucked in so many ways.

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" Radar contact! Confirmed Flight Aurora, bearing three-one-five, range 3-2-9 miles.Multiple signatures, zero-six-nine, contacts course one-two-three, speed two hundred and eighty-six knots." reported the senior airborne control officer aboard the Scano EWACS as he watched his radar picture, he turn to his radar operators" Things about to get hairy over the next few hours."

As a master tactical scope plotted the contacts electronically, Virion said quietly as he glanced at his operations offficer." Right on schedule.Shall we get this over with.Began Phase One."

Orsini watched the operations officer give a five minute brief of the mission profile.It sounded pretty good to Orsini; but then again these fat navy pukes had tree days to whittle down Kalaro's air-defense force to just a few mobile radars and SAM batteries, for the fighters and Lupos Stratus this would be a cinch, how would the marines fear when they got within landing range of Kalaro isles. He glanced at his watch, in an hour he will know that answer.He just hoped Ohal and his team got here on time.

Twenty seconds after the mission brief, just before the first wave of the navy's new fast-attack helicopter lifted off, the Buchus's deck forward of the island structure, the battle staff watched on the monitor screens as seven MSL ( Mobile Suit Landers) left formation and created foam in the waves in there wake as they sped up to thirty knots with three Gritz class battleships on a course to Kalaro Isles; each MSL carrying eight TMS-17G Lupus Dominator type, the navy's varient of the TMS-17J.

The operation officers issued addtional orders and slowly two elevator rosed from within the carrier, carrying two MST ( Mobile Suit Transport) helicopters each, fitted with specialized magnetic clamps underneath each aircrafts and was moved on the flight deck as the elevators descended.The signal operators slowly guided the six fully armed TMS-17F Lupus Gravitors that were already on deck beneath the MSTs and watched as the magnetic clamps attach itsself to the shoulder armor hardpoint.After a quick systems check, the rotor blades began spinning and slowly the helicopter lifted off one after another with three Lupus Gs each, even as the elevator rosed again with four Lupus Gs, as the two remaining MST were moved into position.

" Beautiful," El Virion said. He was still amazed at the power at his finger-tips.In just a few hours, he would control the skies, seas, and soon the island of Kalaro from where ever he sat, and the feeling was damn good." Have the Zhan launch its missiles at all prearranged targets in exactly..."

" Twenty minutes sir.All aircrafts are on course and schedule." the operations officer said after confirming with the radar operators."

El Virion nodded and swivel his chair to face Orsini." Two landers will proceed to landing area F3, I've already made preparations for four transports to proceed to that location and secure that area. When do you expect the arrival of your team."

Orsini turned his head to face the open ocean." If everythings on schedule, thirty minutes after your forces lands and secures the area."

El Virion eyes narrowed." See that they arrive on time.Those units will not await the arrival of your team before proceeding to Fort Nirka.We are after all on a timely schedule."

" They'll be there. Do they have command of the attack force as we agreed."

El Virion swivel in his cheer to face the bridge window." Of course, the commanders have been inform that over-all command will be transfered over to the Elite Syber Force team, if they arrived before the schedule assault."

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	11. Chapter 10

**Mobile Suit Gundam: Vanguard Blitz**

**Chapter 10**

" This is untolerable.None of your recent reports indicated they were this well organized or armed," spat Defense Minister Vistan Van Pollen." Not only did they carried out an assault inside our border, but right now their also murdering our men in Deikumia and Lucan.This cannot be tolerated."

" And what exactly do you want us to do about it?" asked General Litzan Avator, Supreme Commander of the Elite Syber Forces.The initial response was a mere shrug." You're fully aware we're in the final stages of our preparations.My people are spread out wide and thinly.It'll take time and considerable effort to assemble a battalion at our current stage and I can't afford to have a battalion or more of my Elites chasing down a bunch of Lucanites for who knows how long, when we have far more important things to worry about."

" I'm aware of this...but we have to do something.What about the remnants of the Remora Fleet.From your intelligence reports, they have an entire marine division hidden away on Voskav island that are not only supplying their fellow countrymen with arms, but also manpower," Vistan said leaning back against the thick leather chair." Destroy them."

" Destroy them you say. May I remind you that Voskav island is less than two kilometers outside of Kazans territorial waters," Avator's blue eyes stared directly into Vistan's brown ones for a second, before turning away." That left-over Lucan fleet is as safe as can be.Why do you think they haven't venture outside Voskav in seven years, because they know we can't get to them there."

" Our forces in Deikumia were moving ahead at considerable speed unhindered, then..." said Vistan as he leaned forward, the look in his eyes was full of concern." That attack yesterday cost us Litzan, the council's hiding that fact. Supplies and reinforcements to Gulvanize were delayed by several hours and to make matters worst the Deikumians counter-attack at Gulvanized base. It took everything the third infantry division had to repel that assault.We lost three Guard Regiments, the first infantry division aren't where their suppose to be and while I was on my way here, I was informed that we lost more than half of our supply routes near the Vesti river and that a base in Lucan fell to these Lucan freedom fighters."

" I'm aware of that."

" Then find a way to eliminate this threat, before it grows into something we cannot continously ignore, Litzan." said Vistan his voice raising." The Agriculture and Interior Ministers are already reconsidering our allegience.What do you think will happen when they began to openly support the General Secretary.I could be force into a position to resign and you would be replace almost immediately by someone they find more controllable.Do you know who your replacement will likely be.Would you have the Elite Syber Force, a division of our best troops that you and I have nurtured simply handed over to General Gendeno.

" That piece of shit!" Avator growled. It had been the then--Colonel Quinn Gendeno whose brilliant plan and maneuvers had led his entire Guard Regiment to capture the Gia Heights region of Lucan, where the Guild army had incurred nearly 45 of there entire war casualties.Ironically, those very troops that Gendeno had fail to eridicate so long ago, had now return to make life a living hell for the Guild.Due to his family's high political connections, his sorry hide had not only been saved, but had him transferred to command the space station Yulva 3 with a promotion to General behind it.

" So, you would have him planetside, in this very office, dictating your clever plans to your troops?" Vistan asked. Avator shook his head.The two men had been friends and brother-in-arms ever since each commanded a tank platoon in the same motor rifle company.While Vistan had moved on to a political career after serving his five years in the military, Avator had remain in the army and continued to raise in the ranks.It would be ten years before they saw each other again and that was when everything change.Avator wondered if he had made the right choice back then, but then again who could have ever predicted that things would have continued this far.

" How do we proceed?" Avator asked.

" Deal with this L.F.A as soon as possible and we can prepare Operation Vanguard Blitz," the Defense Minister replied simply.Vanguard Blitz was a plan in working for a unilateral attack into Kazan, Ragua and the two remaining island nations. Constantly updated for changes in the force structures of each nation and their own; more so on their side due to the current campaign; it call for a two to three week operation commencing twenty-four hours after the fall of Fort Bolus; the Deikumia Foundation's final military stronghold.Dispite the large force involved, and in accordance of a new yet to be seen standard Guild strategic military doctrine; it call for strategic surprise as a precondition for success, the equiping and of the utilization of minovsky particle beam weaponary.

'_ At least that plan doesn't have minovsky fusion warheads**,**_' Avator grunted.Several other plans with other names applied to different scenerios, including one for the use of minovsky fusion bombs, something no one had seen in use firsthand, but were yet still contemplating its usage.Dispite all the assurance of his political friend that the weapon would never be use, this professional soldier knew all to well that the use of fusion warheads would incur the moment the Defense Council saw Operation Vanguard Blitz as a potential failure and simply wipe out the population of those nations with those warheads, and without the radioactive fall-out, the land would be ready for colonization of natural Guild citizens almost immediately.He also knew that if any of the nations discovered that the Guild Socialist Ministry had broken the Thorian Threaty, which bans all research, development, usage and production of minovsky particle base weapons on the Planets Genesis.Those nations would unite as one and come at the Guild with anything and everything in their collective military arsenal." How long before Fort Bolus falls."

" I've already consulted with the Chief of the General Staff General Idaho, and several key military advisors and analysts, they all estimate inside of two weeks."

" Two weeks," Avator smiled.His own ESF intelligence chief had given him almost the exact same estimations.' _In five short weeks, we will unite the world under a single banner, our banner_. We still have alot to do, and now your asking me to re-organize my troops to deal with the LFA and still remain on schedule."

" And why not?" Vistan asked sharply, knowing that the sudden shifting and re-organizing of his force was calculated into his friends strategic planning as a secondary counter-measure.

" Victory with Operation Vanguard Blitz is not assured, but the balance of forces is on our side.Already seventy percent of our elite syber force units are equiped with mobile suits, with production already at two hundred percent. Transports and atmospheric carriers production are up fifteen percent.But still that leaves us with less than two weeks to produce an additional three hundred mobile suits, seventy transports and thirty atmospheric carriers.I won't tell you how impossible that is with the final warships for our new Space Forces nearing completion and we still have to deal with the Praetorian Empire."

Vistan shudder uncontrollably at the final statement." Your task is indeed not an easy one, but two weeks is all we have, can you do it."

He couldn't, but there was no point in saying so." As you say, two weeks to equiped every pilot in every battalion in the Elite Syber Force division with mobile suits, transports and atmospheric carriers to transport those mobile suits and still get our Space Force into space on schedule."

" Cheer up Litzan, in five short weeks this will all be over and we will have unite this world under the newly formed Guild Federation flag," Vistan said with an almost godlike complexion on his face, his smile dropped suddenly and his face took on a worry tone." What are our reserves."

" Don't worry, two billion tons of refined tetra metal bars has already been transport to Yulva 3 on schedule.As for helium-3 gas, we have more than enough to reach our required payment.Who have you chosen to deliver the shipments."

Vistan face had return to exibit a glow." Admiral Sceptre, the Defense Council feels he's more suited for our diplomatic relations with the Praetorians."

" Leone Sceptre," Avator spoke, not the least bit surprised that Leone Sceptre had been chosen to be the CinC of the newly formed Guild Federation Space Forces.The man's career had carefully advanced in the last few years." I'll meet with him ASAP and he can immediately meet the ships captains.Time is of the essence.We'll have to meet again later this week."

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As soon as door closed behind the Defense Minister, the side door that led into Avator's private office opened.Colonel Getave Vellano stepped into the spacious room, wearing his ESF gray and black khaki uniforms.

Vellano saluted immediately, before taking the chair the Defense Minister had only just left moments ago." You know full well we can't complete every single task he's mention in two weeks and still be prepared for Operation Vanguard Blitz.Couldn't be done even if we had three weeks."

The Supreme Commander sighed and slumped deeper into his chair." If we're lucky those LFA fools will delay the capture of Fort Bolus and buy us more time.But enough about that, what do you have for me."

Vellano leaned forward and told the Supreme Commander everything that had transpired in the past twenty-four hours up to the presnt moment." The 7th Light Recon should be putting down on Kalaro within the next few minutes."

Avator pierced his lips." A reckless move, Colonel Orsini knows full well the 7th is carrying vital information about Kazan's fleet movements, not to mention the most recent scans of Fork Point on Voskav island.Kalaro isles is a Navy and Air force operation, I didn't want our troops getting involve in that and especially not the 7th. Can we call them off."

Vellano shook his head." At this stage, it'll be impossible." Avator sighed and slumped even deeper into his chair; if it was even possible for him to do so." You did order him to use any means necessary at his disposal to capture one of the LFAs new mobile suits."

" Now my own orders comes back to bite me in the ass.Inform Orsini I want the 7th here as soon as that operation on Kalaro concludes.A whole airborne division and some and we have to get involve in this air force and navy operation," Avator said." How's our new selectee coming along with the new assault carrier."

Vellano smiled." His exact first words were and I quote. What the fuck is this thing.An hour later he was like. I'll take it."

Avator chuckled." Of course he would, his alternative option would not be pleasant."

" At the moment he's familarizing himself with the crew and its capabilities.The pilots expected to arrive later today and then he'll launched and take her--

" I have job for him, an operation if you will," Avator said interrupting Vallano, with his left hand he drew a personal electronic datapad off of his desk and handed it to Vellano's surprised expression." After his little performance in front of the Defense Council, I'm anxious to see if your little pet project is worth the effort you've put into it."

Vallan frowned as he tapped the touchscreen and read the data pad." Operation Impetus." Vallano handed the datapad back after a five minute quick read."The plan calls for a Special Operations team.I don't think Colonel Tional is going to like the idea of having a team of Elites in his new toy."

Avator shrugged." He doesn't have a choice."

Valano nodded." What about what's currently happening in Lucan."

" Let the Third Terresterial Fleet deal with it. Our hands are already full as it is."

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Captain Artina 'Lightning Hawk' Raden walked slowly around his Lupos Commander Type, looking into every opening, running his hand angrily down her wings to her lower body, then crouching to look at her feet and exhaust nozzles.He never once thought the process as sexual, never saw the mobile suit as a woman, although he would concede he had seen the newer pilots and fresh recruits run their hands over there Lupos Stratuses in such a manner.

He glanced up to make sure that her chaff and flare cartridges were full. That the TAU-21C 40mm Gatling was fully loaded with a 100 round pod, and a back-up pod was locked on it waist armor rack, double checked to be sure the T-S/28 heat sword had been replaced with a new one; after his humiliated defeat at the hands of a bunch of Kalaroians with second rate mobile suits and three new models, his last heat sword had ended up with far to many dents.To make matters worst, his respect within the crew had deminish.Even now he could sense their stares at the back of his head, he turned slightly at a movement and was barely aware of the crewman coding his Lupos Commander Type with an IFF gun was not the usual crewman who took cake of his Lupos Commander Type IFF signal.' My reputation has been soil indeed.I'll make them pay, just you wait.Damn Kalaroians.'

He moved to her chest intakes, checking for debris.He'd heard about sailors and crewman with a grudge that put coins inside the Ra Laspers jet intakes.The fact that he didn't find anything after a thorough search didn't stop him.This was part of his ritual.He checked everything as if it was a new toy.

Satisfied at last, he climbed into the cockpit and sealed the hatch behind him and then he brought out the mission profile.Two Squadrons of Ra Laspers, five flights of AHN-101 Chimera fast attack helicopters and a flight of four Lupos Stratus from the 205th Tactical Assault Squadron would be leading the first wave of airstrikes divided into two phase to eliminate as much antiaircraft artillery emplacements, radar and SAM sites as possible.Raden glanced at his watch, the first wave should be launching pretty soon.

Raden would lead the second wave with a flight consisting of two Lupos Stratus and his Lupos Commander Type. With seven Lupos Stratus loss in less than four hours, close air-support had been transferred to the fighter squadrons; a poor subsitute ground troops had learn to hate, many had come to love the AMFs, since they could stay on the battlefield and provide fire support as needed, while the fast moving fighters could only stay for a short time before they would head back to base to refuel.Raden glanced at the time on the HUD.1451 hours.It was time, the first wave would already be in the air and on their way to their first targets and soon, very soon the Lightning Hawk would be to.

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Lieutenant Amas Andar, CO 3rd Squad, 5th Mobile Company, 3rd Battalion was making a final scan of the engineers handy work, checking to confirm and report that the make-shift defense batteries looked as real as can be, both visual and from his radar scans ." Initiating radar scan now."

The fair haired, browned eyed young man was silent for a moment as his ERS-06B Grave did a quick three second scan of the surrounding area.To Andar, being two klicks from Arnes town with his back to Unterrem with nothing more than his two mobile suit team-mates for support, was like dipping his hand into a pit of vipers--the less time he was here, the better.

" Scan complete." Andar watched the main view screen and was amazed at what he saw.Appearing like poker dots on his tactical display monitor were a dozen tiny blips.Andar shifted his mono-eye in the direction of one blip that was sitting a few hundred yards off a highway, then zoomed in on it.The blip began to grow in size until it filled his main screen picture--and to Andar amazement, he was unable to tell if this was a real mobile surface-to-air missile on its transporter-erector-launcher or a decoy made out of wood and scrap metals." This is unbelievable.Hard to believe there's seven decoys and only five real antiaircraft batteries out there. "

" Threat scope's clear lieutenant," Sergeant Eson reported from two hundred meters to his back left.

" Same here, sir. Not a blip beside us for four thosand meters," said Private Lance from two hundred meters to his back right." Search radars coming up clear."

" Almost done here," Andar said. Just as he was about to activate a second scan, alerting anything and anyone well outside his radar coverage about his presence in the area, three 'EPS' with diamond symbols around them appeared, and then he heard the high pitch sound of his threat receivers inside is cockpit." Empus missiles incoming, take cover."

Skidding the Grave back half a dozen meters, Adran withdraw both 100mm machinegun and then he launched a red flare into the sky, to let the 5th Mobile Company know trouble was here and there was no falling back; he wonder if help would arrive in time, because Empus missiles meant Guild mobile suits and they had to be real close to use em.

The take cover warning came to late for Private Lance; or he merely took the wrong course of action as his Lupus B took a step back and spit a line of 76mm heavy machinegun rounds skyward just as multiple explosions engulf the desert yellow and green mobile suit.

" Lanc--" Andar was interrupted by the threat receiver's blaring alarm again.In a matter of seconds more than two dozen blips appeared.

Eson appeared by his side and both zoomed in on the Guild forces, the clouds of dust, created by the Lupus Ds, Lupus S, Thrankas, Vosgoves and Series 61 main battle tanks were increasing by the second.Then the thunderous rumbling began as the various Lupus types carrying long range weapons began pumping 380mm bazooka or 140mm cannon shells, as there short range equiped comrads skirted right and left and close in.

" Thats has to be two, maybe three motor-rifle companys with at least a tank company," Eson yelled into the , as both Graves skidded back an additional dozen meters and knelt down.Seven seconds later the area in front of them vanish behind smoke, fire, noise and flying dirt.

Andar glared daggers at the Guild army approaching on his main vew screen and turn around just in time to see the bulk of the 5th Mobile Company exiting Arnes, one Grave skidded to a stop less than one hundred meters from where he and Eson's Graves knelt and fired off its compliment of 'Closer' missiles.The six missiles went deep into the advancing Guild, Andar witness one hit, as the mobile suits evaded the others with measured ease.

But then a 380mm bazooka round came out of nowhere and tear the inside of that Grave, ripping the MS in half in the follow-up explosions.The over-all shock of the moment vanish, Andar 100mm machinegun lash forward and fired at the first Lupus B that appeared in his main camera picture and within range.The 100mm machinegun rounds smacked into the Lupus B, ripping it apart even as the Guild and LFA forces began to disperse over a two kilometer field in a deadly game of hide, seek and kill.

" Stay on my left flank sergeant," Andar barked, as he spitted twin lines of high velocity-tracers across the landscape, drilling a Lupus D across its torso, the cockpit area and internal fuel tanks, blowing this Lupus D apart, four seconds after it had buried a 380mm bazooka round into a Gyriq.A second Lupus D appeared and opened fired at.He dodge right, keeping an eye on his surrounding as he emptied both 100mm machinegun's clips into this Lupus D, ripping it apart with API rounds.Throwing away the Grave's left hand 100mm machinegun. Andar used the left hand to snapped a fresh clip into the 100mm machinegun in the right.

Eson's Grave moved ahead of his own Grave, blasting away at the Guild lines, cutting down a Lupus B where it stood ahead of a Series 61 MBT.Behind Andar, an MTR fired off a TOW anti-tank missile that blew that tank apart, just as Andar was about to claim it as his own.A sudden feeling of disappoint meant swept over him, because another tank kill would grant him the status as an ace tank killer.That feeling of lost was quickly pushed aside when he saw the Guild forces pushing their own forces back, things were looking pretty bad for the LFA. Suddenly one of the Thrankers in the rear exploded in a huge fireball, less than fifty meters from the burning Series 61 tank.Then ahead of it, one, then two of the Vosgoves in the center of a team of Lupus Ds burst into flames, followed by several Series 61 that were nearby. Andar and Eson, with help from two Gyriqs cut down three, four, five Lupus Bs that suddenly stopped engaging to stare at their rear.Seconds later, another Series 61 exploded, followed by a Lupus D providing support.The fuel inside the Lupus D feeding the fire that engulf the mobile suit from the inside out.

" What is it, Lieutenant"

"" I think...I hope, its the cavalry," Andar said.

Sure enough, it was.Out of the small forest to the east, six desert yellow and green ERS-06B Grave mobile suits armed with smoking 125mm cannons and 310mm bazooka barrels emerge, bearing the black letters SEF on their left shoulder armor.It took Andar two seconds to realized these were General Malik T.Velaz's Special Escort Force, the best of the best that the LFA had to offer.The LFA's version of the Guild's Elite Syber Force or the Deikumia Foundations Dragoon Force.They were General Velaz arm, legs and claws and like a pack of dogs, these six units seperated into three units of two and descended on the Guild motor-rifle companys rear.

It didn't take the Guild long to realize the danger behind them, as several MS units began falling back, to cover their rear before they found themselves between a rock and a hard place.But it was much to late, they were to far ahead and the element of surprise was the SEFs.

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Sergeant Rokam Erson did not waste time evaluating the current status of the enemy on the battlefield or considered backing off once his mission had began. This was a direct order from General Velaz: Maintain a visual view of Arnes town and prevent any Guild unit from entering that town by any means necessary.Taking a deep breath, Erson looked about as he saw the enemy began deploying units to cover their rear and he order his wingman, Private Levina Fescal to continue heading into the Guild's rear where he thought was the main command post.Though he knew he was pushing his luck or, more importantly, the luck of his entire team, Erson knew they had the advantage in surprise and he had no intention of stopping while he still had the advantage.

His earlier evaluation confirmed that the Guild forces attacking Arnes was only two motor-rifle company backed by a company of tanks; Thirty-six Lupuses of three variations, eighteen Series 61, fourteen Thrankas and twelve Vosgoves.Even before he had ordered the assault, those numbers had drop considerably.But the Guild could always send more troops; it was easier for them to replace lost equipments and soldiers, but much harder for the LFA, for every lost the LFA suffered here, the affects would be felt when the next attack came along.

Pilots were common, but mobile suits were rare commodities.During the course of the last six years, the LFA had captured dozens of Guild MS and put them to good use.Buying the near usless Gyriqs off of the Foundation had merely filled in a few of a dozen empty slots in there offensive capabilities.But now that the ERS-06B Grave had arrived, things were different, offensive operations had now increase by thirty percent and so had morale.

But still, due to security concerns and the fear of the Guild finding out, Galaga Heavy Industries was only producing enough parts to assemble a few ERS-06Bs per month.Dozens of pilots were on the waiting list, some going back at least six months.So until that change, they would have to reduce their mobile suit casaulties some how and judging from what he was seeing, Erson knew that was impossible.This operation had only just began and already to many LFA mobile suits had been lost.

He would have to end this battle quick and save what few were left, but mentally he knew the 5th Mobile Battalion was going back on reserve was this operation was concluded, atleast until replacements could replenish what they had and would lost today.

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In the Vosgove command post carrier, bewilderment was replaced by a panicked frenzy of activity as Captain Delvano Ixion, once he realized what was going on, ran down the list of the closest units available and ordering his communication officer to call them back to protect his Vosgove.Not everyone was as panicked as their commander.One tank platoon commander; the only one left, saw that his crew was reversing to meet this new threat and noticing the second tank cannon was already firing, closed the hatch behind him and began ordering the loader to load a HEAT round.Even if they were up against mobile suits, the tank platoon commander figured he would be able to get at least one shot off.

Ixion, pausing after he heard a tank round fired, realized that in moments the enemy would be right there in the middle of the motor rifle company itself.Knowing that it was useless to try and stay where he was, Xion decided to prepare a withdraw order.Once they regroup, they could come at the enemy and defeat them at a different time and place of his choosing.The sudden report of a second tank cannon firing and a series of explosions caused by the destruction of one of the tanks right there in the middle of the his motor-rifle company caught Xion and his staff by surprise.In an instant the center of the motor rifle company was bathed in bright yellow and red light as flames from burning propellant of ammunition stored in one of the lastest tank destroyed leaped into the clear blue sky.Every one of Xion's officers and soldiers turned and watched before the image of Erson's mobile suit, its huge 100mm machinegun barrel turning towards them, caused them to redouble their efforts.This was it.Die fighting or die running.

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Though the tide had now swung in their favor, it was several seconds before Andar and the 5th Mobile Company realized that.Even when they did, it was several moments before anyone in the 5th Mobile Company did anything about it; most were already engage with their own targets and had no idea what was going on, and those that did, watch in awe as a once a lifetime battle happen before them.None among them had ever seen the SEF in action, rumors were word of mouth pass on until it became a stuff of legends full of untruths; but this was for real and their was dozens of eye-witness and even fewer gun cameras to record this special events.

Andar watched as the SEF units got within weapons range of the cluster of Guild vehicles from three seperate directions.Almost immediately the area was covered in smoke and fire.Andar main camera captured burning vehicles and ones running away under a cloud of self made smoke.Already the six Graves of the SEF were sweeping around left and right behind what was left of the Guild motor rifle company to prevent the Guild escape, but were force to stop engaging the Thrankas and Vosgoves to turn on the few Lupus Ds that were closing in on them. Beside Andar, Eson caught sight of a retreating Lupus D and killed that with a burst of 100mm machinegun rounds into its backpack.Still outnumbered the LFA raked the Guild column of Vosgoves and Thrankers with their 100mm, 310mm and 125 shells.As Andar watched continously unmoving, what was left of the Guild force turned south-west towards Unterrem and began retreating, with the few remaining armed LFA MS hot on thier tails in pursuit.

" We won.We stop those Guild bastards from getting to Arnes," Eson said, over the .

" Did we really now," Andar said snapping out of the shock of the moment, his MS empty left hand pointed at the remnants of the 5th Mobile Company.There had been nineteen MS, nine MTRs and eight GR-81 main battle tanks that made up the 5th Mobile Company, and now he saw that only five MS, seven MTRs and two GR-81s were left.They may have repel the Guild's attack, but they didn't won.They merely had survive for the time being." We can't keep taking losses like this."

" Bloody shit!" Eson exclaimed, seeing the losses for himself.

Andar scanned the area once, satisfied with the results of his scan. He walked his Grave over to the nearest MTR.He needed refueling and ammo, but MTRs didn't carry fuel for MSs, only tanks; refueling would have to be done at Battalion HQ. The exhausted MTR crew handed him two loaded clips, a fresh 100mm Machinegun and informed him that they would collect the 100mm machingun he had dropped once he had informed them about it's whereabouts.

He barely had time to slump into his seat and gain some precious rest when his left communication sub-monitor shifted, and he stared into the hazel eyes of Eson." What now."

" Haven't you heard, Kuzur base is under attack. We just recieve orders to move out and provide support," said Eson, on the monitor face degenerated into a frown.

" Our orders were to secure and protect Arnes." Andar said, shifting into his chair, his eyes shifted over the main screen and watched as what was left of the 5th Mobile Company, began a rapid move north-west." What the...?

" The SEF unit commander said, Arnes will be safe.The Guild won't reinforce a defeat in this area, even if they had the forces to do so," Eson said.

Andar swore inwardly and mentally gived up on any rest for the moment." What are we waiting for, 3rd Squad move out."

l

Tabaro Wilisk brought his car to a complete stop in the parking lot of Oceanus Bar and Grill less than four kilometers from Fort Nirka.The smell off roasted meat whip across his nostrils, any second thoughts he had about leaving Fort Nirka; for a real hearty meal when he should be over seeing the preparations of the bases defense force MS, vanish in a flash.He was hungry and if these would be his last few hours, he would not be dying with military MREs in his stomach.Not if he had something to do with it, he would die like a real man, stomach over-filled with pieces of rotisserie chicken, pepper steak ( with powdered devil pepper of course), jerk pork and roasted vegetables.

He could almost taste the simmering meal as he march towards the door.There were a few customers outside; those few who had chosen not to leave their homes, smoking and conversing as if the Guild invasion had no place in there thoughts.But most were staring in the direction of BolZie harbour; where earlier he had heard that Mateuss base commander had dispatched another battalion of troops.Word on the vine was that BolZie harbour was one of several Guild landing zones.Fortunately he didn't care at the moment, he was far to hungry and anxious to cure his stomach pains to stay chatting with the locals.He pocketed the keys using his left hand and raise his right to push the restaurant door open.

" Hey, what's that" someone on his left yelled, drawing the full attention of the crowd.Tabaro swore, hands inches away from the door and turned to stare at the man.

Immediately his head jerked upwards at the sudden noise, the unmistakable roar of jet engines.He saw a sheet of white trails coming in from the north-west, very low, almost touching the trees, and the silhouettes passed within two kilometers.The shapes were definitely moving as if heavy with ordance, the twin rudder and twin tails making indentification easy; not that he had any doubts as who they were at that moment.

" Lasper!," he swore." Its the airstrike ahead of the main invasion force."

They were the truly without a doubt the TRN-19Fs of the Guild Navy, armed as SAM killers, while the crowds attention was divided between BolZie harbour and the man shouting insanely, they skimmed over the highway, using the landscape; which they were use to by this time to hide their low-level approach.The back-seat crewman in each aircrafts counted the SAM radars; smiled with satisfaction as there were less than they had anticipated and selected the ones that would be the most dangerous.When they got within three kilometers of Fort Nirka; nearly three times closer because of the minovsky particle permeated environment, they clear above the tree tops and fired a salvo AS-11s air to surface missiles.

The defense force had been brief of the Guilds plan of assault and knew the airstrike would be the first sign, but many were exhausted from days of work and little if any rest periods--response time, therefore was slow, and the incoming missiles were already bearing down on their targets before the anti-aircraft defense crews could armed their batteries.Six out of fourteen AS-11s found targets, destroying two search radars, three missile launch vehicles and one mobile anti-aircraft gun vehicle; the poor result was mainly due to the low levels of minovsky particles around the base.One missile battery commander turned his SAM vehicle around and fired a pair of SAMs and destroyed one Ra Lasper, but two trailing Ra Laspers scoured the area with cluster bombs where they saw the SAMs lift off, receiving a very satisfactory secondary explosion as two of the remaining missiles exploded in their launcher.The cluster bombs also hit and damage two hangers where a squad of Gyriqs were only now exiting and the control tower.

As each pilot of the eleven remaining Ra Laspers raced to their target area assigned to him/her, a female pilot did a very quick visual.Notice a moving vehicle; looked like a SAM launcher and veered towards it, dropping Skavenger cluster-bomb canisters that fell over the launcher and spread over a hundred bomblets over the area. The launcher exploded in her wake, its crew labouring to bring their missiles to bare, they never knew what hit them.Six hundred meters ahead of it was a mobile anti-aircraft gun vehicle.The Ra Lasper engaged with her cannons, badly damaging it as she turned west. A 310mm bazooka round caught her in mid-turn exploding her aircarft around her, the young lieutenant was force to eject as another Ra Lasper four hundred meters to her left exploded.Seven surviving Ra Laspers of her squadron cleared the area heading west with clouds of chaff and flares in their wake.A 125mm HEAT round caught one just before it could vanish out of range.

The second part of the airstrike arrived almost moments later.Two flights of four AHN-101 Chimera attack helicopters swooped over Fort Nirka, firing laser-guided HEAP and AS-11 wire-guided missiles from as far away as two kilometers--well out of range of the few Gyriqs and soldiers firing blindly into the air with 380mm bazookas and rifles at any aircraft noise they heard.Each attack was quick--launch on the move, no hovering in one place.The next two flights did almost the same, swooping in and destroying targets, two were fell by 100mm machinegun rounds, a third by a 310mm bazooka;then the first wave came in again to take revenge and open an escape route for their comrad, one was felled by a 125mm cannon round from a thousand meters distance and the three remaining Chimeras broke off their assault and sped westwards behind their surviving comrad.

Meanwhile Tabaro Wilisk scramble towards his car; chicken, pork, steak and roasted vegetables forgotten, fumble once and dropped his keys in the midst of unlocking the driver-side door.Picked the keys off the ground and got the door open on his third try.He started the car, reverse out the packing lot and drove forward towards Fort Nirka at 200 kph in the midst of pulling his door shut.

Something about seeing the clouds of black smoke in Fort Nirka's direction raised the bile to his throat and made him approached cautiously.The last thing he needed was to be spotted by a Ra Lasper and have his car mistaken for something other than a car.

He arrived three minutes later, sped through the gates unchallenge, a sure sign of bad news, but how bad.Two ten thousand gallon tankers were a roaring mass of flames, which had already engulf two hangers.More smoke rosed from the SAM launchers position to the west.A squad of three Gyriqs halfway out of Hanger Two would never leave, their humaniod frames burning uncontrollable.A crackling Zergize tank exploded before his eyes.He stopped the car and saw the command and control tower had been damage as well, all its windows gone; no doubt before the blast shutters could move into place. Tabaro left his car, and ran towards it as soldiers scurried right and left doing who knew what.

He burst into the command and control tower to find blood splatter across the walls and half a dozen dead bodies, with three surviving soldiers from the base searching for anyone alive, the look they gived him as he entered reminded him of a funeral gathering; everyone wanted to cry, but were acting to brave to do so.He turned and bolted in the direction of the hangers.Hanger Two, Four, Five and Nine were a burning mass of flames and twisted metal sheets, any hope that there were survivors inside vanish as the roof collapse in on itself.

Tabaro looked on in muted shocked with a high mixture of horror.Which quickly degenerated into an uncontrollable fear as he dropped on his knees, his chest in convulsions, the flames soaring before his eyes.Tabaro rosed, spitting up a frothy, acrid saliva and then his blood pressure began to rise.' Kailyn...this can't be happening, this can't...he can't be dead...

Something snapped inside his head and his head turned to stare at Hanger Seven, it was scorched in several spots but other wise unscathed. To his left an ERS-06B Grave walked pass, its hydraulics whining, but Tabaro Wilisk neither saw or cared for it at that moment.His mind was locked on making the Guild pay, although he had to admit, even with five hundred plus hours behind the controls of a mobile suit, he knew nothing at all about using one in combat.

Especially a type of mobile suit that was much harder to pilot than a Gyriq, but his mind was set." I'll make them pay for this." He began a slow run, that slowly built up in speed towards Hanger Number Seven with a determine look on his face and a cold feeling wrapping around his heart.

l

With a shudder that Captain Ohal felt through the core of his TMS-17K Lupus X and into the twin controls he gripped tightly, the hanger door of the Miska class atmospheric attack carrier came into a hovering position and Kerina took that final step forward, beginning her freefall towards an environment that was potentially filled with anti-aircraft and SAM batteries.

" I don't like this at all," Ohal complained once again, feeling the lifting sensation in the pit of his stomach." They could have delayed the airstrike another ten minutes."

Swearing inwardly, he kept his eyes lock onto his altimeter and activated the powerful thrusters at 150 meters high.At low throttle at first and steadily to half of its maximum thruster capacity, slowing the multi-ton machine to the ground without a crump, but stirring birds of every kind out of trees and into flight.The twin 76mm heavy machinegun snapped upwards, the barrels turning at his command a full 180 degrees, his mono-eye scanning the area.Nothing but trees, low grass that reached to Kerina's feet.It was already four weeks since he had the pleasure of piloting his MS into the field and it felt just as good then as it did back when he had first been given the TMS-17K also known as Kerina.Simulation battles was real enough, but there was just no way it could stimulate this sensation of superiority.

There was a momentary beep of his threat-receiver and he turn the right hand 76mm machinegun to the left where the arrow indicated and fired of a single round and waited even as the right hand 76mm machinegun barrel face that direction, ready to unleash a hail of AP rounds.The single 76mm round thudded against a tree, splitting it in two.He continue scanning that area.Nothing.Satisfied, Ohal keyed to the El Nino." Mother Bird One, Requiem One area secure.Bring in the flock."

" Roger that Requiem One, coming in now," replied Sergeant Calcom.

Ohal remained on full combat readiness as the massive aircraft's four thermonuclear thrust vectoring jet engines; two forward and two rear slowed the massive aircraft into a vertical landing.His over excited blue yes flickered over the panoramic monitor to get a clear few of what was ahead as behind him the El Nino, kicked up a cloud of dust and dead leaves into the sky, obsecuring his view as it landed.

Ohal turned Kerina around as the massive hanger door open and one behind the other, the four bulky gray and black TMS-18J Marauder piloted by First Lieutenant Lama Dale, Second Lieutenant Kelvin Gonz, Sergeant Sophie Enisa and Sergeant Dothrin Kyleno walked forward to join his Lupus X on the field.

Well armored and armed for close and long range assualts, few things could match the TMS-18J Marauder in terms of durability.Standing at 15.3 meters high, a double layer of tensil titanium/high ceramic composite armor and a minovsky type 2B ultra-compact fusion reactor.The primary weapons included two TMG-20/R2 76mm heavy machineguns on their skirt armor racks, a rare limited edition TMR-B-46/J 420mm bazooka on their left shoulder hardpoint, 3-slot right shoulder mounted rocket propelled grenades and a T-S/31 heavy heat sword on its waist armor rack.

"We're thirty klicks east of the LZ. Lock, load and kill anything that ain't ours you come across, except our primary objectives," Ohal order, shifting in his seat. switching his helmet communication to another frequency." Mother Bird One set up defense perimeter around the El Nino and await my orders to proceed to Fort Nirka."

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As a single unit, the five MS of 7th Light Recon Squadron, began there slow march northwest towards the coast, oblivious to the MR/AR-X90 60mm Juri and G5 380mm bazooka tracking them from a distance of four hundred meters as they vanish out of sight.Kailyn stared at the direction the Elites had vanish, mentally counting to one hundred before calming down.Just moments earlier he had been scouting for the best position to hit his target from long range, when the massive aircraft had came into view.Kailyn had dropped the Gizen (r) immediately on its left knee, sensing more than hearing the wing binders scrapping against the ground.He had been impress with the giant aircraft ability to hover and watched as it combat drop a single TMS-17K.He had brought up the Juri and G5 on pure impulse and stupidly activated the senors for a second to target-lock and smoke that Lupus X.

That split second had earn him a 76mm round that had splintered a tree five meters to his left.He had already surmise that Lupus X belonged to the commander and as long as that aircraft was above, that Lupus X pilot had been safe.Then to his surprise that aircraft with Elite markings had also landed and out stepped, not one, but four Marauder units and all had headed northwest, not towards Fort Nirka to the southwest as he had expected. He turned his attention to what the Gizen (r) computer identified as Miska class atmospheric assault carrier, it was in his path. As long as it was there, he would not be able to move and which mean he would not be able to get to his target, that was a no no.In the shade of the trees, Kailyn could see the inside of the hanger, still open at the moment.A couple of G5 rounds could render that aircraft a smoking wreckage if he so choose, but that also meant using up his main weapon, whih he had reserve just for his objective.

There was, as far as he could see, no movement on the ground, no guards visible.The internal lights were still on, providing him with ample light to see inside.Unsnapping his seat belt, Kailyn adjusted his helmet, pulled the zipper up on his flight suit, pulled out his 5.56mm folding stock assault rife, checked its ammo, grabbed two spare clips, two grenades; one flash and one fragmentation and thumb the hatch of the Gizen (r) to open.Firing the G5 here would surely bring unwanted attention, Kailyn realized he would have to do this the hard way and do it fast.

A blast of cold air swept into the open hatch of the Gizen (r) hitting Kailyn across his flight suit.He moved slowly downward, until he hit the dirt and shoot forward quickly, taking cover at every opportunity as he closed in on the Miska class, his eyes searching out movements constantly. How many crew did this thing carry, how many were aboard, were they arm, these thoughts rattle across his mind as well as thoughts that he was insane for trying something like this.

He was thirty meters away, when six camoflage Guild Elite soldiers who were order to patrol the area stepped outside.They came pouring out the hanger, combat gears on and weapons at the ready, they walked into the sunlight ready to deploy and ready to search out intruders.Kailyn skidded to a stop, dropped on his left knee, raised his assault rifle, but held his fire as he watched, waited, and shifted his gun to the left a little.Using his body to aim and direct the fire of his fire, Kailyn opened up, holding the trigger down while he moved his entire body to the right, raking the group of Elites.Like tin cans set on a wall for target practice, each of the Elite was knocked back as Kailyn's hail of bullets swept down their line.Three dropped in the first two seconds.The remaining three, seeing their comrads chewed up by machinegun fire so quickly, were thrown into a panic.Caught in the open, the three Elites turned to run into their aircraft rear hanger.All were dead or wounded before they could escape.

Standing upright Kailyn glanced around once, changed clip and moved forward quickly, slowing only to put a single round in each body in the head, alive or dead; the last thing he needed at this juncture was to have a suspected dead Elite putting a bullet in his back or worst.He moved in one the side of the aicrafts hanger entrance, checking himself once. Kailyn moved into the hanger firing off a burst, killing one Guild before he could emerge from a side door.His forward momentum, assisted by the shoving of the mechanics behind him, cleared the line of sight for Kailyn to fire on the next man coming out of that door.The Elites, many rushing to arm themselves; as side arms was not allowed near the flammable mobile suit propellants and weapons in the hanger, and had to be retrieve from the weapons locker, which of course needed a passcode, only the security chief and Captain knew of course. The security chief had been outside when the shots had rung out, he was presumably now dead.

So as it was none were armed, with anything other than wrenches, screwguns and data-pads.

With rapid movements, Kailyn moved beside the door, the ground sensors open it wide and he pointed the barrel inside and fired a burst.Looking in quickly, he found three dead and one writhing on the floor in pain, moments later he would never feel pain again.Excited and upset mixed; killing unarm men was murder, wasn't it.But then again they had chosen the wrong place to land at the wrong time.

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Inside the messhall, a group of five Elites soldiers peered over their desk; most curse inawardly for not being issued sidearms, while others wished their tables weren't bolted to the floor, but all watched and waited for their attackers to show themselves.Behind them, Sergeant Calcom wished he had stayed on the bridge.Except for a short panic call over the intercom followed by rapid gunshots, that signified that they were under attack, he knew nothing.In fact, Calcom had no way of knowing his attackers was a lone gunman.Like everyone else in the room, Calcom assumed they were a Kalaroian strike force.There was no one on the bridge to contact, who could then contact the Captain, because he had been the last to leave the bridge immediately after landing the El Nino.

Nervously glancing around, Calcom began to reconsider the wisdom of making a stand in the mess hall, the room was only 15 by 15 with no windows and only one way in and out.Besides, at the time of the attack he was in the midst of getting a bite to eat and drink, while at the same time trying to coax the young communication technician into his shared quarters, now that his room-mate was supposedly going on patrol for an hour or two was as good a chance as any, the fact that she had shown that she had been interested was now a blank thought in his head.

Damn. he thought as he moved closer to the door, a hand tried to stop, but he ignored it.It took Calcom a full minute to reach the door, his left feet stepped on the ground sensors inside the room and the door hissed open and someone gasped behind him, as a shadow moved out of sight and a hand threw something in.The black oval object sailed over his head, his eyes tracked it for a second and widen as he recognized a hand grenade." Grenade."

He turn to run for cover, but was cut short by a pop sound as the flash grenade went off and flooded the room with a blinding light.The Elites were rubbing there eyes when Kailyn came in and felled on the Calcom and his comrades.Calcom never saw or felt the 5.56mm round entering the base of his skull, he died painlessly rubbing his eyes clear.

' _Seventeen,_ Kailyn counted off mentally as he search out the aircraft.After five grueling minutes of searching, he decided the aircraft was empty, those that weren't dead had long ago made their escape. It was time he did to.He had no desire to run across a MS pilot returning to find all his comrads dead.He stopped in the middle of the blood soaked hanger and glanced at the MS weapons inventory in proper order in their storage and loading racks on both side of the hangers and mentally choose the equipments he wanted; they would be perfect for his mission, but not necessarily all that effective against it.

The TMS-19B Gizen (r) was exactly where he had left it, throwing his empty assault rifle against a tree trunk, he open the hatch and climbed inside, mind racing a mile a second. He quickly brought the giant machine to life and snapped the mono-eye right and left as he took a careful scan of the surrounding area. Satisfied, the Gizen (r) rosed to its feet and marched into the hanger.Stepping out the MS and into the hanger, he went to work he used the control levers to control the two robotic arms attach to the ceiling and brought in a full load of four MS sized AS-11 air to surface missiles, two fragmentation and two high explosive grenades and finally, his real prizes two TMR-B-46/J 420mm bazookas, one on each Gizen (r) shoulder hardpoint. He just hoped they were enough, but they were alot better than that G5, which now layed on the ground inside the aircraft hanger.

He looked around the spacious hanger once, half his mind telling him to destroy this aircraft now that he was done with it, but another part told him to be conservative, this aircraft could be useful later on. If it was still here and he somehow survive this mission.Two minutes later he was inside the Gizen (r), at his command the MS heavily loaded with weapons took off outside and headed northwest towards his objective on a simliar path the Elites had taken, but at a far slower pace.

l

Half a dozen and then some 140mm cannon rounds, followed by an equal number of 380mm bazooka shells rammed there way up into the 8th Mobile Company second line of defense.Two GR-81 to slow to maneuver took the brunt of the assault and exploded as if there thick armor was made of paper foil.

" Shit," Second Lieutenant Rida Ahama, CO 5th Squad, 8th Mobile Company swored in the midst of ducking her Grave as low as she could get it.More shells slammed in front of her,covering her view of the surrounding landscape with clouds of dust and debris, but thankfully they were fifty meters above sea level and covered with dense minovsky particles." You know this is getting real tiring."

Beside her Sergeant Lardo Atole chuckle inside his own Grave."But you have to admit, those Guild don't know when to quit.You'd think after forty-five minutes of this, they'd try something new."

Grunting and carefuly manipulation of the Grave's controls, Ahama rosed the Grave head a few feet from hidden position behind boulder.She stared down at a 120 degree angle at the Five Lupus Bs, three Lupus Ds and eight series 61 main battle tanks three hundred meters away eighty meters below them; fourone Lupus D and four Series 61 were already burning hulk of metals.Each tank carried a 120mm main gun, that was capable of firing one round every eight seconds, with thick frontal armor built with multiple curves and straight edges, reducing direct penetration from high-velocity tracers, but unlucky for them, she was above them and had a clear shot at there thinner top armor.

She mentally recorded one tanks exact position and ducked her Grave as several lines of tracers walked a line across the ground into her squads position, hitting nothing but dirt and weeds.Almost the exact moment the tracers stopped, she rosed the Grave and aimed her targeting recticle on the exact spot and fired a 310mm bazooka shell through the cloud of dust blinding her field of vision and bearly ducked her Grave back down in time as a 380mm bazooka shell whipped passed, missing her Grave by what seemed like inches and exploded half a mile behind her.

" Shit. Did I get him," she asked, not daring to take a look for herself.

A minute and then some pass before Atole responded." Ahh nope, knocked the left thread off, but its still operational."

" Oh yea," Ahama Graved snapped back up and, she found her target, the Series 61 unable to move; well it looked like it couldn't move and pop off a 310mm bazooka directly at its top turret as Atole took the time to fire a burst of tracers, forcing to Lupus Bs to take cover.Ahama Grave was back down and out of sight as a hail of tracers raced over her head." Did I get now."

Another long minute pass." Yes... and no. You bagged the wrong tank."

" Well a dead tank's a dead tank, right," she muttered more to herself.Suddenly there was a flashing on one of her sub-monters, she flipped over to this frequency and saw the helmet covered head of Specialist Theur Uday and instantly turned her mono-eye behind her, tracing the communication cable that led from her Graves left feet to the MTR seven hundred meters back, a second one led to Atole's Grave, there had been a third that led to a Gyriq, but that unit was now a smouldering pile of metal." What is it."

" Reports coming in, we've lost the entire third and seventh squad, fourth squads falling back due to heavy losses.The Colonel wants to know your status," Uday reported immediately.

Ahama snapped her main camera to her right and zoomed in to where the 3rd and 7th Squads should have been some six hundred meters distance. A cloud of dust greeted her main camera and she instantly looked to her right where the 4th squad had been, same results." Shit, are you telling me they've broken through already.'

" That's affirmative ma'am.Colonels wants you to fall back to our final line of defense ASAP,"said Uday.

' Thats almost five klicks back and two klicks from Kuzur base. Roger that Uday, disconnect the comm and fall back immediately.You got that Atole."

" Roger.Looks like we lost this one," said Atole there was a sadden sound to his voice.

" Can't win them all. But lets say we give them a taste of what's waiting for them at Kuzur," Ahama said. Raising her Grave up amidst a path of 76mm tracers.

" My sentiments exactly."

Ahama looked eighty meters below her and could see that the Lupus Bs moving up at high speed, with Series 61 tanks behind them while the more advance Lupus Ds provided covering fire.One Lupus Bs was hit and exploded by a 310mm bazooka from Atole, but the remaining four kept climbing, while firing wildly upwards.Ahama fired at the lead Lupus Bs, but it side-stepped the 310mm shell at the critcal moment, causing the 310mm bazooka round to slam against a Series 61 behind it.She shifted fire immediately, but it kicked on its thrusters, she jettison the 310mm bazooka and snag her 100mm machinegun and sprayed upward before her target could confirm a lock and tracked in on it.The Lupus B was hit by half a dozen 100mm rounds across its torso and came falling down trailing gray smoke.

" Lets go Atole.We're done here," Ahama ordered, kicking on the Graves thrusters and jumping back several dozen meters with Atole to her front left doing the same.

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" Enemy units falling back on all sectors," a plotting officer reported as the young lieutenant marked the positions of the enemy units on a chart.

" Destroy as many as you can before they can escape and form another defense line," ordered Captain Rilius Revfrem.It amazed and worried him that the enemy had lasted so long against his barrage of long range assualts.He wondered why Safovis base hadn't been built on that high ground ahead instead of the low plains near Arnes.The enemy definitely knew the terrain, they had used that position to the maximum of there ability.He shudder to think what would have happen had he used Colonel Brium plan of a single massive assault concentrated in a single area, instead he had chosen a three prong assault with equal strength on three position with a heavy long range assault.

Now that his own plan was bearing fruits, the enemy was falling back quickly.Presssing the attack would reduce their ability to set up a another defense line quickly, but it could also leave his company stranded within sight of the enemy and low on ammunition and fuel.The last thing he needed was to have his mobile suit force reduce into melee combat where they sucked beyond belief.Revfrem turned to the map on the make shift table under a shade of a tree in silence.But still his men had to press the attack and run through the enemy lines as quickly as possible in order to draw the bulk of their force to him, leaving Colonel Brium to move in on Safovis base with minimum enemy resistance.That plan meant his 13th Mobile Rifle Company would suffer heavy losses and it chilled him to his bones.

As a Captain of MRC he had worked hard and had his Lieutenants work even harder to trained every man in his company to familiarized themselves with their equipments and there limitation.There was no denying that his troops were far more battle ready and prepared for this exact eventuality, more so than any other mobile rifle or mechanized-rifle company in the 117th mechanized-rifle battalion.While other company commanders had sat back and wasted time in this warless environment, his troops had been harden into combat ready troops.

" Sir, the enemy units are continuing to withdraw towards Safovis base.Should we continue to pursue them."

" Yeah," Captain Revfrem said quickly." Take the fight o them.I'll be viewing the battle for myself first hand."

Without another word, Revfrem left the saftety of the shades and walked to his TMS-17K Lupus X, one of the few new machines the forces in Lucan had received.A young officer handed him a helmet as he approached and he climbed the metal ladder placed there towards the cockpit, straped himself into the seat.Glancing first left than right to his escorts of four Lupus Ds, Revfrem, beckon with his mobile suit 76mm heavy machingun and began his marched to the frontline, with his escorts taking up position fifty meters to his front.

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" Its almost time for the MSL to began there final approach.Began," Virion said.

Aldeno merely nodded to the operations officer, who immediately put his hand to his head and began barking orders into his ear-piece.

Fifteen seconds later as a single collective unit, all eyes turned to the bridge window as a bright streak of fire shot upward from the deck of the Gignet class destroyer Zhan, then gracefully arc toward the north-east and continued on course.The first Type-27 cruise missile launched was followed by four dozen others, from three seperate ships.Seconds later, the missile exhaust trails had vanish and there was nothing to do but wait and wait they did.

Virion in the otherhand reflected on the fact that this was it, three days of waiting and now the capturing of Kalaro Isles was just a mere few hours away.He just hoped the 84th Airborne division combat dropped those troops in the right place and that the MSL amd MST did the same, the last thing he needed was some officer messing up the plan he had carefully laid out three weeks ago.

Miles away and in sight of the island of Kalaro, the forward look-out of the Gritz class battleship, Guerte, a twenty-two year old from the city of Orboss, was lightning his ninth cigarrette and mentally saying this would be his last of the day, when he saw the missiles streaking overhead.

He had been straining his eyes on the shore in the distance for some time now, in hopes of seeing some sort of Guild shore defense line and had only looked up to blink away the spot he had been seeing, at first he didn't recognized them.They were just streaks in the sky and vanish just as quickly, but his sharp eyes tracked them all the way in. Several impact various positions acoss the shoreline ahead of the MSL already moving on ahead to unload there MS onboard, the others continued on ahead.The shoreline vanish into a cloud explosive gray smoke and flying dirt that rosed high into the sky.Anyone on that shore would be running for there lives at this point he surmise, even if they were in a big hole, protected by sandbags.

A moment later, he lifted his head from his cupped hands, frowning back at the destruction in the distance.A moving haze appeared out of the smoke speeding over the clear blue sea, stirred by a faint hot breath of its dying motors, he could barely make out its small black sinister form.He forgot the fireball in the distance and cigarette.The lighter clattered on the deck as he jammed down the button on his phones and shouted." Missile! Incoming. Bearing zero-eight-five to zero-nine-five!"

"Let them suckers burn the shore, easier for our landing force," an overly exited voice said in his ear." Just watch the fireworks."

" No you chickenshit, listen up! I said there are fucking mmiisssileess comin' at us, you shithead!"

At that moment, two decks above, the destroyer's captain--thirty-nine years old, from Revil--was confirming his target solution with his tactical officer.Standing in front of the tactical display, behind and above the Captains chair, plotting the best targets for their four twin barrel 400mm main battery-guns to began artillery fire on Fort Nirka, but was not so absorb that he missed the sudden shouting of a man on the bow.His glance followed the pointed arm, when something hit the Guerte, followed immediately by another and then a third.

He felt the ship shudder around, as the lights blink on and off.The Captain stagger into the bridge and took his seat, eyes wide and furious." What was that."

His answer came in the formed of another explosion, followed by a rolling boom, causing everyone on the bridge to jump as one of the twin 400mm main guns exploded.A second explosion and a cloud of fire erupted just below the bridge as two 40mm point defense turrets became useless tubes, followed by the horrible groaning of metal and another explosion told him something was trying to rip loose.Even as the ship alarm began sounding its battle station alarm.

" Picking up a heat source," the radar operator yelled ."Something's coming right at us at high speed, starboard."

" Air action starboard! Right full rudder.All back full.Bring us to new heading zero-nine-zero," the captain ordered immediately.He turned west, wondering when the Kalaroins had gotten a fighter. All of them should have been destroyed on the first day."What is it."

" Its TMS-19B gizen (r), flight capable."

" Well illuminate his ass.Weapons free! Engage at will,' the captain ordered frantically.

The Guerte heeled hard to the right as she began changing course.The fifteen six inch gun mount rotated clockwise as the ship brought her stern across the target bearing and each began began firing a round every 2.3 seconds in full automatci mode.The Gizen (r), was bearly in range yet, but the Captain could see it now, on his monitor.A repainted Guild built mobile suit, how had Kalaro gotten ahold of one didn't matter, all that matter was that it was coming at them at full speed and low, no more than a fifty feet off the two foot waves.

" Call in some air support, damn it."

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The first dozen shells went wide, exploding harmlessly six hundred meters to Kailyn's left just as he fired the final 420mm bazooka round, but the next few dozen rounds were closer, one exploding less than a hundred meters behind the Gizen (r).Ejecting the empty 420mm Bazooka, his aerial maneuverability and over-all speed increase.His mind locked on his target. The Gritz class battlseship, 270 meters in length, carrying a crew of 1200, a speed of 34 knots and weighing over 45,000 tons.But those were nothing, what made this target something to fear was its huge range of armaments, eight 400mm main-guns, fifteen 152mm secondary guns, forty 40mm and twenty-five 20mm point defense guns, made this warship moving fortess at sea.

Kailyn dropped the Gizen (r) within ten feet of the waves as the point defense guns join in the assault; many off-line due to the damage from the 20 HEAP 410mm bazooka shells, but yet enough were online to light the skies with long lines of tracers, which would have looked beautiful if they weren't so dangerous.He fired two AS-11 from a distance of half a mile and watch them plowed into the warship,taking out more defense turrets even as he pointed the 40mm gatling gun with right hand and the Juri with the left and began spraying the battleship without mercy.The tracers hit a few seconds later, raking its port defense guns.He got inside the battleship's ability to track or target the Gizen (r) and using the Gizen's powerful thrusters to circle from a distance of twenty feet as he sprayed short control burst at every defense turret located within range of his primary target.The bridge.

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" What is taking so long to destroy that mobile suit and where's my air support," the captain bark as he watch his most prize command, raked by secondary explosions; both internally and externally caused by a single mobile suit of all things.

Suddenly a bright orange ball of fire erupted from the starboard side of the Guerte, followed by another alongside.The sound of the explosion followed a few seconds later, and to the Captain it felt like a red-hot fist punching him in his guts.

" Sir," the radio operator turned to him." The fleet's vectoring figters on our position, ETA nine minutes."

The captain nodded and barked into his phone," What's the problem with the fucking defense guns and those six-inches."

" We're having trouble transfering ammo to some of the trays,-- most of the crews in those areas are either dead or wounded- atleast half of defense guys are offline."

The captain stopped thinking. He place his hands to his face and swore inwardy. This was not happening."Would someone shoot that thing out of my sky."

Someone gasped to his lower front and jumped out of their station seat, the Captain turned to glare daggers, but the fear and wide eyeball, made him follow the enlisted man's stare and his eyes open in shock, hovering less than five feet from the bridge was none other than the TMS-19B Gizen (r), he open is mouth to scream as the massive multi-barrel machinegun flashed.

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Kailyn raked the inside of the bridge with 40mm rounds without hesitation, he stopped as the TAU-21C ammo run dried, but it had been enough, the bridge was dead, so was the warship's ability to properly communicate with its individual compartments, but there was still a chance this ship had a secondary bridge somewhere to organized a proper chain of command.He dropped the empty gun, using the now empty right hand, he pulled a fragmentation grenade from the waist armor racked, depress the red painted top, and then tossed it inside the bridge, immediately followed by the second, and both HE grenades.He kicked on the thrusters and blasted back and above the warship, the number of active defense turret was now far less, and that number was about to drop even lower.He took aim with the reloaded Juri and fired twenty 60mm API rounds consecutively below the ship's waterline, before reloading and began firing from above.

Round after round of 60mm API rounds rain down from above, punching through the hull in sections and destroying point defense turrets.Column of smoke poured throu a dozen holes, smaal explosions give rise to large explosions as large quantities stored ammunitions and fuel cooked off.The Gritz was tearing itself from within, but yet the huge battleship showed no sign of sinking anytime soon

The four grenades blew a chunk of the ship's hull plating outward, above the waterline.But the seawater was already pouring inside, from several seperate holes.In the engine room, just above, superheated steam had displaced the air.Main control no longer existed.No one was alive there.

Below decks in the feeble glow of the battle lanterns, squatted or stood awaiting orders.In every man's mind, the desire to bolt for open air struggled with his training and duty at his station.A few bolted.Most stayed.Gradually, over sound-powered circuits and by word of mouth, it filtered through the ship.The bridge had been hit, the engine room was offline, water was pouring in and they had a fire to fight-- a big fire.Three hundred men run for the nearest life-boats.

The men in the damage-control lockers had been dressing out when the first pair of missiles struck.Repair Three was twenty feet aft when a main gun ammo began cooking off and their door jammed shut by buckled steel. They would cook to death over the next fifteen minutes.The two other teams simply continued their routine, though now their hearts and task sped up.

Watching the battleship pour smoke from dozens of locations, Kailyn surmised it may sink, but then again it may not. But he was positive it won't be providing artillery to the landing force already on their way to Fort Nirka. He had been lucky, those 20 HEAP 410mm bazooka rounds had made alot of difference.Kailyn glanced at his fuel reserves, he was almost in the red.He took one final aimed at the Gritz class battleship and fired his last pair of AS-11s, before turning southwest towards the location of that Guild aircraft, mentally hoping it was unguarded as he had left it, making it to Fort Nirka with his current fuel stats was impossible and there was no way he was going overland.The twin missiles exploded on the surface of the battleship as the Gizen (r) veered away.

It would be some days later before he learned that the Gritzs class battleship had sunk, due in part to the lack of a proper command structure and the inability of the fire crew to stop the raging fire near the ammo and fuel depots.

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To Be Continue...


	12. Chapter 11

**Mobile Suit Gundam: Vanguard Blitz**

**Chapter 11**

The drive to _Unterrem_ took twelve minutes longer; but they were making good time;_ considering the fact of the unexpected engagement_,' Colonel Lotus thought on the units his command post had encounter at the edge of Arnes.Suddenly turning a tight corner, he spotted what looked like the remains of at least three GR-81 tanks and one MTR just off the main road, forcing the command post into another quick stop and an investigation into the wreckages, confirming what Lotus had suspected already, that there was the number 4 painted in the side of what was left of the turret of a GR-81 tank.These were the 4th Armored Trooper vehicles.

" Looks like Captain Bereg run into trouble," Major Thurman said." I don't see what hit them.Your thinking its still in the area Colonel."

" I doubt it, these units were part of the rear formation if Bereg kept to the units formational plans," said Lotus,' _Which meant they were hit from behind hard and fast_.Without any ground indentation Lotus assumed it wasn't MS that had hit the 4th AT, a rear attack from a team of mobile suits against tanks and MTRs would have left a telling tale.Could it have been a fast attack helo on patrol, Lotus wasn't so sure it was and wasn't sure it wasn't.If it wasn't, then enemy ground units should be in the area.Guild units love to repeat the same successful attack over and over until it failed.

Without any sign of an immediate danger in the area, Lotus went over to a tree and relieve himself and walked back to his tank, where Thurman was looking over a map.A good aid, but a lousy front-line soldier Lotus thought, what did he think of the current situation.

" We're almost there, we should be about fifteen klicks from where the 4th armored troopers was suppose to setup a command post."

Lotus contemplated that, a move forward now could get him caught in the same trap that had hit the 4th AT, but staying here won't get him anywhere near Unterrem and that's where he needed to be.Most of his men were already stretching there legs, but a few were at there turrets as expected. As Lotus was climbing back into the commander's cupola, he noticed for the first time that one of the trees was scorched black and partially burnt.It slowly down on him what he assumed had happen, the enemy had hidden in the trees and watched Captain Bereg and the 4th AT pass and had hit the rear units with anti-tank missiles, were they still there or had they moved on to another position to try the same tactic in another location.There was only one way to test that theory.

Lotus walked over to the tank commander of tank A21, Lieutenant Jerry Utler. " I want you to lead the command post down the main road, but remain no less than four thousand meters from the trees.I'll follow from behind at an equal distance.We may have enemy units lurking nearby, so be on your toes."

Utler open and closed his mouth, no sound escape, looked at the surrounding area and shrugged.The perfect example of a soldier, Utler rarely if at all question his orders." Yes, sir."

Minutes later, the two GR-81 and three MTRs, began their slow track forward.Lotus returned to his tank and waited, using the binoculars to keep track of the vehicles as they vanish out of regular sight.He order his driver to began following, but to remain at least 4500 meters behind the vehicles, keeping his eyes locked on the trees, truthfully, he didn't expect this to really work.He had to decide on doing something.Lotus was fast becoming tired of making these decisions.They just weren't what they taught tank commanders on tactics and operation maneuvers at Lucan Armored Academy.Top of his class. For what, this shit.

Who told the Guild to built mobile suits as weapons of war and not construction machines for space stations.The profession, he had trained for all his life had become obsolete in one faithful day.Once into the open, the tank began picking up speed.He wonder if things would go as they had been plan, no plan ever went the way you expected, that much was certain.

Movements to Lotus's right diverted his attention.Two Guild Series 61 tanks and two Thrankas were moving west on an intersecting course behind his command post.Those sons of bitches had been hiding in those trees this entire time, just bidding their time for another opportunity to kill his men.Well not this time, with palable raged Lotus grabbed the tanks' commanders override and jerked it over as far as he could, swinging the turret in the direction of the threat.

" Gunner--Sabot round--two tanks!"

Thurman turned to look away from his map." What the...Geez!"

" Got them, sir!"The gunnder had acquired the targets almost the same time Lotus had, but the commander's controls override the gunners, preventing the gunner from moving or elevating the gun until the commander release it.Lotus let the override go." Driver, take us in at full speed after the first round."

The tank's 120mm main gun jerked back from the recoil, APFSDS-T dart shoot ahead.The shell hit the Series 61 tank's rear almost a second later, before the wisp of smoke from the barrel had cleared.The Series 61 tank exploded from its engine compartment, smoke raising into the air and rolling over the tank.The other one traverse right hard, its turret turning slowly to face the GR-81.Through his extensions Lotus watched the Series 61.The range read-out digits on the bottom of the sight changed. 850 meters._Shit, that was close.Damn minovsky particles_.The ready-to-fire indicator was on.

" Fire already."

Both tanks fired at the same instant, the Guild miss wide right, but Lotus sabot round was dead on target.There was a flash of impact followed in rapid succession by secondary explosions.The first series ripped off the turret of the Series 61, flinging the eighteen tons of steel high in the air as if it was a dead leaf.The turret slammed to the ground and flopped over upside down.A quick scan of the area revealed that both Thrankas, were already making a break for it.

" Driver, don't you let those suckers escape," Lotus ordered, although he doubt his own orders. In terms of speed Thrankas had an acceleration advantage over the tank, not to mention both had already gain a distance advantage while he had been engage with the tanks.As he watched, one blew apart in a flash of fire and smoke.The second Thranka skidded to a stop and turn in the opposite direction, vanishing behind a cloud of self-made smoke.Lotus ordered his driver to cut it off.By this time the Thranka was easily 2000 meter away and dropping, turning had cost the Thranka time and speed, it was on the run." Get me a blue flare, I want that sucker intact."

Two rounds from his front left, exploded the dirt near the Thranka, hiding it behind a cloud of dust and its self-made gray smoke.Thurman handed him a flare and Lotus, took aim upwards and fired it off into the sky, seconds later it detonated with aloud bang.The blue incandescent flash into the sky, a hidden order to all LFA units in the area to capture that Thranka.

The next round confirmed his order had been received and acknowledge as a shell, slammed wide left of the Thranka, forcing it right under a cloud of dust.Its 30mm cannon began belching fire.Lotus ducked and realize he wasn't the target.The Thranka was firing widely and unaccurately behind it, another shell slam left of it again, forcing the Thranka deeper to the right.Two MTRs burst from behind the Thranker, going wide, and turning in deep. Faster and more mobile than the Thranka 107 kph, the MTRs at 112 kph cut the distance slowly.But Lotus was beginning to re-think his plan to capture the Thranka, this was Guild occupied country.Their forces was spread thick in some areas and thinly in others, and in Unterrem the Guild had a Regiment.Which made this area full of Guild troops.

The Guild Thranka commander must have begin to realized what was going on, because the Thranka kicked on an extra long cloud of smoke and begin zigzagging this and that way across the valley field, but his efforts was in vain and he knew it.Suddenly it slowed to a complete stop and its rear hatch open and eight soldiers and its three crewman deployed, or run as many scattered in various position.

The two MTRs 30mm cannons, began cutting down a few soldiers in their path as they move in to surround the Thranka.The two GR-81 of his command post showed up seconds later behind them and their 120mm main gun began belching fire.Those two GR-81 seperated and charge in on the fleeing Guild, firing every weapon at their disposal as they hunted down the Guild soldiers.

Lotus ignored the GR-81 as they run down a soldier firing a 5.56mm assault rife and had his tank driver rode up to the Thranka, before disembarking the GR-81. Lotus made sure the platoon from the MTRs were already covering it.It was empty, Lotus stared at the GMV(General Multi-role Vehicle)also known as a Thranka; Weight 23.4 ton, length 8 meters, width 3.3 meters, height 2.65 meters and capable of carrying a total compliment of 11 personnel, not unlike their own MTRs.

One of the platton segeant stepped inside, handgun at the ready and came out five minutes later with a folded map and handed it over to Lotus.Lotus grabbed the map like a hungry man would a cheese sandwhich and unfolded it." Troop disposition for the region, should be handy later." The scribbling on the map weren't readable, but decoding it wasn't going to be that hard.He turned to the real prize, the Thranka.

Thruman stepped back." Sir, we got company."

Lotus had felt it to, the sudden thundering of a multi-ton machine, without an order he bolted for the GR-81, while his infantry squad run for the MTR. The tank 120mm main cannon, elevated slightly in the direction of the sound; the gunner was on the ball as usual while the two MTRs 30mm cannons were armed and ready.The two GR-81 rolled up beside his own, main guns armed and ready.

Out of the trail to the west, two desert yellow and green Gyriqs stepped out into the open and for once Lotus was relieved at the sight." I'll be damn, about time."

The two Gyriqs bore the insignia of a giant black JC on there left torso armor, signifying that this unit was part of Jalen Company's.The lead suit, came within a dozen meters before kneeling, its giant G5 380mm bazooka elevated skyward and the cockpit hatch open.The pilot climbed down, while removing the helmet, and exposing a short military style crew cut.

Lotus approached the young red-haired femaled pilot, who saluted crisply." Colonel Lotus, sir.Lieutenant Amina Vatemo, 59th Squad."

" Your from Jalen Company. I wasn't expecting you for at least another three hours and definitely not way out here."

" Mission in Deikumia concluded several hours ago, sir. We're part of the advance detachment and was on course to your TOC when we came across Captain Bereg of the 4th armor troopers, mention getting ambush by a couple of Guild tanks and APCs in this vicinity.Also said, you would be coming down this road and there was a high chance you might fall in the same trap, sir."

The lieutenant spoke quick, high and carefully. Lotus tilted his head to the burning tanks and Thranka." We've dealt with the situation.What happen in Deikumia."

The Lieutenant smiled." Wasn't part of the attack element sir. But I heard Alpha and Delta Company did a number on a Guild Mechanized Rifle Battalion that came out of Anmen.Our southern flanks are covered for the next few hours."

Lotus nodded and glanced at his watch." Shit.I'll read your report later lieutenant.Damn Guilds keep delaying us at every opportunity."

" Don't worry, sir. The rest of my team's with the fourth less than fifteen klicks awaiting your arrival."

" Well lets get a move on shall we.We're way behind schedule. I don't expect my battalion to hold off an entire Guild regiment for ever.Anything that pops out that we don't own, we'll handle it, sir."

Lotus watched the lieutenant walked over to her Grave, watching her hips swing in tandem with interest as she climbed up its leg and slipped into the cockpit, closing the hatch behind her, before turning to his GR-81.It may not be as mobile or heavily armed as a mobile suit, but its was kicking Guild ass and taking names just the same.

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Something was wrong, the Gizen (r) instruments gived no faulty readings; beside the low fuel stats, but Kailyn eyes shifted over the HUD continously expecting the worst any minute.It was just an uneasy feeling of dred, maybe it was his near brush with death, there was suppose to be two other Gritz class battleships out there;one for each Kalaroian main base, but Kailyn had already made a choice of not tangling with another one.Ever.He turned northwest after traveling east for twelve miles, and dropped low enough for the trees to reached up and snatch at his mobile suit.He followed a man-made canal inland for a mile before turning north, spotting the area where the ESF hand landed their transport on his main camera and landed five thousand meters away;well outside a mobile suits average scanners range and moved forward slowly.

He could easily have walked the Gizen (r) to Fort Nirka instead, but that carried the high probability of running into a Guild advance MS unit and besides a full 20 rounds of the Juri, full loadof vulcan shells and the Seraph heat blade, the Gizen (r) was weaponless.An engagement now, would be swift, short and one sided; beside what better weapons for a Guild built MS than Guild built weapons.Although he was worried about Fort Nirka, the information that Colonel Veoha had gotten from that Guild pilot about the Guild invasion, should have helped Fort Nirka increase their chance of repelling that first air attack. But then again Fort Nirka main defense force had been split between VeiNoir and Mateuss bases over the last few days, so that knoweldge meant nothing if you didn't have the forces to make use of it.Their chances was fifty/fifty of getting mauled or repelling that attack he recon.

The massive transport appeared on his scanners and slowly his main camera caught sight of it, but he approached slowly.At a thousand meters away, he dropped the Gizen (r) on its right knee and watched it, nothing was out of place.He hadn't been gone that long; maybe twenty to thirty minutes and nothing looked out of place, he moved within five hundred meters.The six bodies were exactly where they had dropped under his hail of 5.56mm tracers.He flipped to infrared and scanned the area, while searching for movement.Right,left, center--Nothing.Kailyn rosed the Gizen (r) and burst forth, guiding the Gizen (r) into the hanger bay under the belly of the Miska class with a short burst of the backpack thursters and she skidded inside and turn the Gizen (r) around to face the hanger bay exit, 60mm assault rifle aiming ahead, a beeping sound indicated that his fuel tank was officially now dry.

He set the Gizen (r) in one of the mobile suits docking stations on the portside, facing the two on the starboard size.There was a fifth docking station in the back center.This aircraft was designed to carry, operate and maintain five mobile suits of any types for an extended period of time; perfect for a special operations unit.Their own little base in the sky that can go anywhere at anytime.Well it was his now, screw the Elites and screw the Guild.Still cautious, Kailyn flipped the switch above his head, unsealing the torso hatch.A whoosh of cold air as the hatch pops open.Kailyn listen and hears nothing, if there was a trap, wouldn't it have been sprung already.

Kailyn draws the 9mm handgun and releases the safety.Quietly, he climbs out of the mobile suit, gun drawn, his eyes searching for movement.He used the side metal ladder built on the docking station and climbed down.Listen, nothing, sighing he shrugged and dropped his handgun to his side and stared up at the Gizen (r) and his mouth open in shocked."Bloody krill."

The upper and lower torso, left and right leg were filled of pits and dents from 20mm and 40mm rounds, even its air intake vents had visible signs of damage.It was no wonder he had a slight uneasy feeling piloting the Gizen (r), its systems was begging to give out. He sighed, the external armor looked as if someone had taken a screwgun to it and starting drilling,while wearing a blindfold, but it was the internal systems that worried him.He glanced at the time, it was already 1540 hours.If the Guild kept on schedule, the landing force would should already be marching on Fort Nirka, Mateuss and VeiNor base. But judging from the damage he was looking at, it would take anywhere from one to two hours before he knew what systems was currently affective by the damage and what weren't.His knowledge in mechanical and electrical engineering was spotty at best, but he knew enough about mobile suits to get even a few minor repairs done.

But time was of the essence, he turned around and went in search of what he would need to began a full systems check of the Gizen (r), but first these bodies just had to go.The Blood, he would take care of that another time, if at all.

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Taking point and moving forward at a rapid but cautious pace, First Lieutenant Dale brought his Marauder forward as the trees rustle to his back left and right, dropping dead leaves from the branches and onto his Marauder's shoulder armor.He came to a sudden stop and raise the Marauder's empty hand into a fist snapped a single finger ahead and continued forward, alone.They had a job to do, secure the landing zone and guard those MSL ashore.If enemy units were encountered, eridicate quick and with prejudice. It was simple, he'd done this a dozen times and then some.But this was the first time in several years he was not leading his team into combat.Team Requiem should be answering to him, not that chair warming piece of shit in the rear.He glanced at his rear secondary monitors and swore inwardly as the Lupus X brushed a tree aside and came to stop behind him.

Dale stared out from above the tip of the trees onto the beach, and angle his main camera ahead zooming in.At least seven missiles had landed on the beach, judging by the cloud of smoke raising in seven craters. All around the shore mobile suits; mostly GTS-04 Gyriqs and at least two dozen Zergize MBTs were taking up dug-in defensive position off shore.He smiled with dark amusement as he watched the first mobile suit to be built by the Deikimia Foundation's Gulvanize base and removed from frontline duty less than a year after its introduction trample across his main screen picture.It ws amazing that Kalaro isles would used something so obsolete as part of their frontline forces, but then again what other choice did they have.

A movement to his back left caught his attention almost the exact moment a Gyriq stopped moving suddenly, then tilted its head in their general direction.Its mono-eye snapping right and left and stopped directly on his Marauder.It had a pair of G3 105mm machinegun in both its hand, not the deadly G5 380mm bazooka.He raised his Marauder's right hand, just as a flash of fire spit across his Marauder's monitor and Dale blinked in surprise, but still watched as a 420mm bazooka round flew into the Gyriq torso, plowing into it from a distance of a kilometer and blowing it into smithereens with a HEAP grenade round.

_Shit_' even before he could react, the two Marauders belonging to Gonz and Kyleno, broke from the treeline and kicked on their thrusters for a high powered jump, while the Lupus X took to the sky with an even higher powered jump, leaving a branch ablaze, that left Dale in awe; he'd only read the specs, this would be his first time actually seeing a Lupus X in combat.It was suppose to be superior to the Marauder in every way except armor thickness and weapon load.

The two Marauders landed under a hail of 105mm tracers, easily four hundred meters from the collection of Kalaroian defense force units.The shoulder mounted grenade launchers open on both, and out came three rocket propelled grenades that rush into the Kalaroian forces, killing a pair of Zergizes and damaging a Gyriq.Normaly if he was the commander on scene Dale would sit back and direct fire, but he wasn't and minovsky particles was dense in this area.Which meant communication was all but impossible and long range assaults was reduce to nothing more than visual range, he would have to get real close and close was how he love it.

The Marauder sprint into a run at his command, he fired his 420mm bazooka at a trio of Zergize tank, blowing the center tank apart, scattering the other two.One of them rotated its main gun and fired, but hit nothing as he veered right and closed in, while unlatching his 76mm heavy machinegun with the right hand and power jumping towards his targets.The right tank kicked on its smoke generators and tried to vanish into the cloud, Dale switched to infrared.Locked on the distinctive heat signature, got a confirmed lock and fired a short burts of 76mm rounds, destroying that tank inside its own smoke cloud.Skidding to a stop, the Marauder twisted its torso slightly and fired a full burst, blowing the left thread of the last tank, a second burst turn it to scrap metal.His mono-eye snapped right and left tracking targets, and locked onto a Gyriq in the midst of elevating its G5 380mm bazooka.It never had the chance to fire as a 420mm bazooka round from Sergeant Enisa buried itself into the front torso armor, bending the mobie suit forward as it was punch in the gut and exploded.Dale turn to a tank and raked it with a three round burst.In a moment the crew began to bail out, only two manage to get out before a grenade round destroyed that tank.

" Your staggering commmander," said Enise over the skidding her Marauder beside his own, before power jumping above a Zergize and exploding it with the two remaining grenade rounds from the shouder launcher and landing into the fray.

" This is redundant, they don't even stand a chance," swore Dale as he close in on a pair of Zergize in the distance.' _Tanks and Gyriqs, this war'll be over before nightfall.I just hope those new models are as good as I've heard.'_

Above the Lupus X descended slowly using its thrusters, its twin 76mm heavy machinegun raining tracers on the thinner top armor of the Zergizes, ammo trucks and six 155mm gun batteries that had yet to fire on the approaching MSL, with telling affects.As a cloud of dust and smoke appeared, followed by multiple secondary explosions, then a second burst from above and what hadn't died from the first burst of 76mm rounds earlier went up in blaze of glory from the second.Further out, Gonz and Kylenos Marauders 76mm heavy machineguns riddle apart a SAM launch vehicle hidden in the trees, before turning on a quartet of Zergize maneuvering on their flanks, their combine fire power raked the two of Zergize into a double explosion.A flash of light and a black object appeared from seemling out of nowhere exploding the third.The fourth Zergize kicked on its smoke generator and tried to retreat.It made it three hundred meters forward, before exploding from a hail of tracers from above as the Lupus X landed deftly and spinned on its heel, spraying a fifth tank with API tracers, blowing that tank apart, before it latch its left hand 76mm machinegun on its waits rack and reloaded the right.

A puff of smoke and a 120mm round exploded the ground in front of Dale's Marauder feet, he smiled behind his helmet, licked his teeth, took aim at the Zergize and fired a three round burst into its top armor, the tank exploded.Even as he switched to the 420mm bazooka and exploded a retreating Zergize two hundred meters away.He began to gasp slowly, his body beginning to feel the strain of the battle.The Marauder mono-eye searched out additional targets, seven Zergize was forming up and racing forward. A suicide charge.

Dale lowered his 420mm bazooka and fire off two shots one behind the other and watched both tanks vanish in a flash.Captain Ohal came on their left flank and raked a third, before switching clip on his right hand 76mm machinegun again, even as Kyleno exploded a fourth. Gonz and Enise claimed the fifth and sixth, Dale and Ohal with a combine burst of 76mm tracers claimed the seventh and final tank.Its turret exploding end over end in an arcing fireball as its ammo cooked off.The battle had last all of twenty-six minutes and right on time.

As one, the five mobile suits of the 7th Light Recon Squadron watched the first of two massive MSL came into view. The team was taking up defensive position on the shore when the lead MSL came ashore, aft thrusters to increase the large amphibious transport forward at eight knots.Twenty minutes later the lead MSL dropped her ramp on land, and the first marine Lupus D walked onto the island.Seven others quickly followed close behind, with four Series 61 MBTs and formed up in squads of four that moved forward to extend the perimeter out to two kilometers.Right behind them were two Thrankas and a Vosgove who rolled to the center of the beach.

Once the second MSL had landed ashore and unloaded its payload, the perimeter extended an additional two kilometers.Moments later, a MST appeared over the horizon escorted by four Chimeras fast attack helocopter and three Ra Laspers fighters as they flew pass, providing air and ground cover as well as long range eyes.The MST ejected its four Lupus Gs from a hovering altitude of thirty meters and Dale watched through his main view screen as the four Lupus Gs landed with a crashed, kicking up a cloud of sand, snapped their 76mm heavy machinegun barrel upward and tracked forward slowly.

" Twenty mobile suits, four Thrankas and two Vosgoves.Plus our five suits with an additional twelve Lupus Gs to combat drop over Fort Nirka.This is over-kill," Dale muttered, considering the type of opposition they would be facing, he doubt they would need this many mobile suits to take a single Kalaroian base.This was a waste of resources and manpower.

A thundering sound behind his Maruader, made him snapped his mono-eye as far as it would go as Captain Ohal Lupus X rested a massive right hand on his Marauder's shoulder, initiating a direct communication link." It seems I've expended a considerable amount of my ammunition in this small skirmish.I'm returning to the El Nino to resupply immediately.These marines carry a much different version of our 76mm heavy machingun rounds with less penetration capability."

" I understand sir.Take Kyleno as an escort, sir." said Dale instantly before catching himself_.Let the bench warmer go it alone._'

" Its only a seven-eight minute flight time from here by mobile suit.I don't intend to walk all the way.I'm relieving Team Requiem from my command and handing it back to you until I return.Proceed as we planned once preparation is completed.I will returned back to resume command in no less than thirty minutes.Try to save me something," without another word, Ohal turned his Lupus X around and walked a few meters, before its backpack thrusters flared on and the thermonuclear rocket engines catapult it skyward and to the east.By the time Ohal's Lupus X thuster flares had vanish, the twenty marines units had assemble, five squads of four, with each squad carrying two units equiped with an Empus missile launcher and began moving ahead.There was a roar behind him and Dale turned to see three Ra Laspers racing over sea and heading inland.

' _That's less than we were told to expect.Did they suffer heavy casaulties earlier.No matter._'

Dale watched as they roared overhead and dropped their loads of napalm and cluster bombs six klicks ahead of his position and turned east, one exploded in midair. A marine unit made contact with a Kalaroian defense force tank platoon seconds later and the first real battles began.

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Lugano Errot worked quickly and frantically, but still the information on Arnes town, Unterrem and now Kuzur base, was coming in slowly.The plan had originally called for a full assault on Unterrem from three points of the compass, with the 5th Tank Battalion being the primary assault force, with elements from the 2nd; once their mission at the Vesti river had concluded and the 3rd Battalion providing heavy support with their mobile suit units.But that plan had counted on the fact that the Guild 114th Guards Regiment would remain at Unterrem as a whole.

But who exactly had to ruin that near perfect plan, the Guild of course.They weren't where they were suppose to be, in fact they were less than twelve kilometers from Tera Cias base current position.How the Guild 114th Guards Regiment had mobilized and deployed his forces so quickly was beyond Errots comphrehension, but that Colonel had and now those very units were hurting the exhausted 3rd Battalion.A flash report from Erson had confirmed Velaz prediction that the Guild would try to re-capture Arnes first.That attack had failed of course, at a course of two motor rifle company and a tank company, but that attack had also hurt the 5th Mobile Company as well.

The attack on Kuzur base by the Guild unit was text book perfect, a three prong assault. Splitting the already thin 3rd Battalion lines even thinner, with little to no chance of reinforcing.Errot swore inwardly as he read the message that just came in, but still already eight minutes old and took the message forms, his notes and scurried over to the tactical operations center at full speed.

" Okay, give it to me short and quick," General Velaz barked.

" From what we've confirmed its definitely the units from Unterrem.Battalion strength maybe more.Colonel Neral's requesting help, but everything we have is heading for Unterrem, so helps a long way from coming.Unless we do something soon we'll lose the 3rd battalion."

" So they withdraw units from Unterrem to take back their base, Lotus is lucky, should make it easier for him," Velaz walked over to the map." Our reserves are stretch thin and we can't call in for additional units.High chances are we'll lose Arnes and that base, but get Unterrem instead and no doubt eventually lose that too.So what do we do."

" Unterrem was our ultimate goal, concentrate our efforts into holding that position."

" That means losing the third.Unacceptable," Velaz walked over to communication monitor." Captain Rand take us to Kuzur base at full speed." Turning to Errot , while releasing comm sswitch." You have the enemies last known positions."

Errot flipped through his notes." There atleast fifteen minutes old by now."

Velaz nodded." Take us in Captain nonetheless.I want artillery barrage on those Guild units as soon as you have confirmed their position.Began deploying our defense squads..."

" We picked up a few heat sources a few minutes ago, profiles match them as Covera Kis moving in on the third position from the northwest. Six of them. Plus if you will sir, we've got real-time position on those Guild artillery units," Tera Cias Captain spoke.

Velaz and Errot shared a glanced, Velaz asked." Explain, with mino-."

" Minovsky particles not that dense and they're registering enough heat to track in on their exact positions, sir.They way their going, they're just begging us to get pop, wth your orders to remain conceal, we just ignored them sir."

" You have permission to provide any support you deem necessary to our forces at Kuzur, Captain.Give this ship a real test ride."

" Yes, sir.Those Covera Kis and Guild suckers won't know what hit them."

Velaz chuckled inside, even before his self induce schoolgirl giggle sub-side Tera Cias shuddered from a missile launch, followed by another every 6 seconds until six missiles were screaming ahead.Before Velaz had time to return to his seat, he felt Tera Cias rising, followed minutes later by the rapid boom of its triple barrel 155mm main cannons.

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Captain Revfrem had this battle won and he knew it, from his position two klicks from Safovis base, he watched as his forces attack continously from three seperate position, with heavy artillery equiped MS as support.The enemy was to few and to thinly spread out and falling back yet again, but they had run out of room to run and most were force to fight it out, but they died just the same, it was hard to believe that this same unit captured this base some hours earlier.Well they were finish now, he would make sure of that.

The six Cover Kis promised to him by Colonel Brium arrived late, he watched them appeared on his main camera picture with disgust, hugging the landscape as they closed in on Safovis base.Two stopped suddenly and used there hovering disk to remain in position.With a flash and a streak of white smoke, the two Covera Kis let fly a HEAP anti-armor guided missile towards the center of Safovis base.The Covera Kis remain in position for several seconds, then dropped lower and flew behind there comrads ahead.

There was no warning, suddenly three Cover Kis exploded across his main camera monitor, Revfrem open his mouth in confusion, before his brain could register what had happen, a fourth was blotted out of the sky and the remaing two Cover Kis that had stop to fire of their HEAP missiles turn north, then west and escape.

One of his escorts to his left shouted and Revfrem followed where the 76mm heavy machinegun was pointing and his jaw dropped inside his helmet in shock, he could clearly see what looked like a Lucan Army Arvus class land-battleship coming over-land at high speed; but that was impossible, all of the Arvus class battleships had been destroyed almost seven years ago back in the war, in fact one of the Arvus was back in Guild as a trophy for new recruits to see once entering the academy.But there it was, surrounded by at least two squads of mobile suits.As he watched those mobile suits thruster catapult them up and towards Safovis base.Multiple explosions followed by secondary explosions ripple across the edge of Safovis base, creating clouds of smoke and dust.

" We can attack and destroy that sir," Lieutenant Elton Sabain, CO of Sabian Team, his escort commander said as his Lupus D took a step forward.

"Holy Shit!" Revfrem swored, his mind was elsewhere, calculating his loss to gains.The forward section of the landbattleship flash orange, hiding the ship momentarily.His escorts saw a target to gain notarity, Refrem saw a target to end all his gains.His main camera picture switched to three Thrankas a thousand meters away and a team of four Lupus Ds, equiped with 380mm bazookas and 140mm cannons providing artillery support.They didn't see the death bringer approaching.

The first round landed six hundred meters west of the squads, forcing them to stop and look in its direction, only then did they see the warship.The next rounds landed amongst them.The squad and the APCs vanish behind a dust storm followed by secondary explosions.Then the battleship fire again taking out his second and final artillery armed mobile suits, even as it closed in on Safovis base.Those artillery armed mobile suits had been his backbone in this assault, losing them just like that.

" Launch a signal flare to withdraw." Revfrem ordered.It was time to retreat.

" Sir, we could still win. Its just one enemy battleship," Sabian protested.

" If they have a battleship coming in, what else do you think is behind it.We're not running away, we'll withdraw and joined Colonel Brium and informed him of the situation before he launches his attack."Revfem swored in the midst of skidding his mobile suit backwards and out of sight.He took the time to zoom in on the battleship and record it while he could, the intelligence department had really fucked up.How could they have mess the existence of an Arvus-class land battleship, an armed one to booth.

Ahead of his Lupus X, Sabian, not convinced launched a orange flare skyward.Less than a minute pass, before Revfrem saw from a distance his forces began to withdraw under heavy fire.He counted a dozen mobile suits and even less Thrankas and Vosgoves, no matter, combine with Brium forces, the next attack would be the end-game.He would personally joined that assault, and drop that battleship into a firey hell.

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The Kalaroian defense force first line of defense, didn't last as long as expect, Athan saw.In truth they didn't last a quarter of the time they were predicted to have been able to last. The few units of the Guild marines first attack element broke through the first line of defense as if it wasn't there.Five minutes after the marines had encounter the defense lines, it was obvious that the line was broken, it was time for the few surviving units to pass 4th Squads position in the second defense line and build up a third line of defense five hundred meters behind them.

The first few units were support elements: supply vehicles, artillery units and two headquarters.The passage was not as Athan would have expected,vehicles came down singly, or in pairs and some dragging other vehicles.Some were limping or wobbling along like drunks, all showed signs of damage.Trucks had canvas tops shredded.There were even a few running on tire rims, or simply unable to or unwilling to stop long enough to change tires.Through all that parade, not one was a Zergize or Gyriq, Athan had expected to see at least one mobile suit returning.

" They got hammered in less than ten minutes," said Varl thirty meters to his back right.

Athan said nothing, what could he say, the Guild marines was now within five to six kilometers away, how long did it take a mobile suit to cross that distance; three minutes maybe four.To add tension to that point, Kalaroian artillery units began to bombard the positions a few kilometers ahead of the team, the high velocity tracers whistling overhead to the north.The Guild marines return fire looked closer than five klicks.The initial impacts were followed by a steady stream of artillery shells impacting every few seconds.Athan had no idea of which calibre of rounds they were using nor how many were impacting.Not that he wanted to know.The adrenline started to pump. Zergizes and Gyriqs to the left and right of 4th squad cranked up and move forward.In their excitment or they simply forgot, some of them forgot about their camouflage nets.Athan watched a Zergize as the net supports tumble and the net stretch forward as if it was a large spider web stuck to the tank.Once the stakes were yanked free, the net trailed the tank limply.In a silent plea Athan wished they hadn't move, didn't they know a mobile suit could spot movement from far, much better than a tank could.

A flash of light in the distance and a black object came out of no where trailing smoke and buried itself in a Zergize tank forty meters to his front left and Athan cried with surprised as the tank exploded into fireball. Followed by a second and a third, just like that and less than two seconds had elapsed.Athan swallowed the bile in his throat and narrowed his eyes in the direction of the trees ahead. After a couple of seconds, what ever was hiding in those trees popped out and fired a slavo of missiles at the defense lines as more and more mobile suits Athan recognize as Lupus Ds, with at least a Lupus G amongst them firing across the line, killing another three Zergize and one Gyriq.A pair 380mm and 310mm bazooka rounds reached out towards the Lupus Ds, destroying one and blowing off the left arm of another.

The Lupus Ds staggered back and raised its 76mm machine gun and fired a wild spread acorss the line. It was two far away to get a accurate lock at 700 meters with the dense minovsky particles, but the tracers could reach much further out and several kicked up the dirt across Athan view screen." Varl, smoke that sucker."

The Lupus Ds stopped firing as its 76mm machinegun clip empty and Varl fired, blowing the Lupus D apart.Athan level the recticle of his 'Replica' onto the nearest Lupus D and depress the trigger.The 40mm gatling gun came to life, gritting his teeth and holding the trigger down tightly as the Grave chatter violently as it spit the line of tracers.The Lupus D buckle under the barrage of tracers, but held up against the shells. Athan switched to the 100mm machine gun and fired four three round burst.The Lupus D exploded before his eyes.Athan immediately turned his attention to the Series 61 beside it, blowing that tank apart with his remaining rounds.But the fire from their side had reduce to half of what it had started off with and units were already falling back, no sense sticking out here longer than need to.

" Varl, Vicati fall back, now."

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Utterly oblvious to what exactly was going on at Fort Nirka, but well aware of the thundering boom of artillery fire, the TMS-17K landed with a crump sound and its thrusters catapult it skyward once again, behind the main camera picture, Captain Ohal search out for the distinctive shape of the El Nino.Mentally he would not admit he was lost and that he had gone further northwest than he should have, he chalked that up to the area looking all the same from above.All this hunting was costing him precious time well spent killing Kalaroians, he cursed himself, he should have just taken one of those marine 76mm heavy machineguns, his Lupus X could operate them after all.Then again he still had 16 rounds of his 76mm heavy machinegun, a spare clip on the waist armor rack and his heat sword.More than enough to finish his mission, tanks and Gyriqs was no match for Guild mobile suits after all.

'_ There'_ Ohal main camera picked up the El Nino and his eyes locked on it as he turned slightly in mid-air to the left, orienting his Lupus X to land facing the El Nino.Ohal Lupus X thrusters kicked on in mid-air, taking him higher and closer to the Miska class, he landed less than ten seconds later and broke into a thunderous run towards the aircraft smiling inwardly.He was about to open a communication link with Calcom inside the El Nino cockpit, when the Lupus X shudder from a three round burst that exploded the ground to his feet. Ohal skidded the Lupus X to full stop and leapt back as another three round burst forth from the hanger bay, two barely missing, the third striking his left shoulder armor earning a grimace from his lips and shock expression on his face.

There was a flash of light from inside the El Nino hanger bay and out came a TMS-19B Gizen (r) traveling on its own thrusters and it rocket upwards, a 76mm heavy machinegun level down for a death delivering shot.Ohal kicked on the Lupsus X thrusters and skidded back as the barrel flash.The 76mm rounds exploding the dirt in front of him.Ohal aimed upwards and fired a return three round burst, missing wide right, he watched the tracers zipped pass, even as he open up a broad spectrum channel." I am Captain Ohal Elite Syber Force Division. Identify yourself."

There was a chuckle over the net." I'll be sure to write that on your tombstone.As for my name, the dead has no need of it and you will die here, Elite."

" Dream on you cock sucking sonofabitch."

The Gizen (r) level its barrel and spitted a line of high-velocity tracers from its 76mm heavy machinegun downwards forcing Ohal back, as he fired a burst in return. Missing wide left.He kicked on his thrusters, taking him up as he fired a desperate spread. The mobile suit that the top elite engineers had develope, tested and then simply handed over to the army to mass-produce, weave underneath the tracers with ease and fired a return burst, that left him straggling in mid-air to avoid.

As his Lupus X dropped, the Gizen (r) dropped its empty 76mm machinegun and snagged a heat sword; the computer identified as the T-S/32 and rocked towards him.' _Sonofabitch_,' Ohal snapped his 76mm machinegun forward and fire his final burst, missing the highly maneuverable unit as it dipped low out of the tracers path and closed in, swearing Ohal gripped his own T-S/30 heat blade on the Lupus X waist armor rack and parry the blade in mid-air.Both mobile suits staring at each other from half a meter distance as their heat blades remained locked against each other, X-shape mono-eye staring into X-shape mono-eye.

" Who the fuck are you?" Ohal swored.He felt the Lupus X shudder from its landing, jostling him inside the cockpit as the Gizen (r) skidded backwards on its own thruster power.'_ This guy's_ no _rookie, is he a Kalaroian spy who manage to steal a Gizen._His answer came in the form of a thruster burst as the Gizen (r) close-in on his Lupus X heat sword swinging, he parry the side slash with ease and counter with a thurst, only to have that deflected to easily and to quickly for him to have any doubts as to what he was up against.This guy knew the Gizen (r) to well. The two heat swords connected against each other again and again, each slash deflected or parried with barely enough time to react and counterreact.

The Gizen (r) struck first, ducking beneath his forward thrust; his heated blade missing the Gizen (r) head by an inch and it followed up with an upward slash that would have cleave his Lupus X from between the legs upward if he hadn't the mind to stagger back in time, but it still manage to cut deeply from the left leg up to the torso with the tip of its heat sword.Ohal felt the suit shuddered from the impact of the heat sword and kicked on his thrusters to put some distance between them.

Ohal felt his blood chill and his teeth chattering from the close call, no longer was he underestimating his opponent, a seconds hesitation would have surely killed him.And then he got angry and bit his lower lip deeply.'_ This dipshit nearly killed me."_

Snapping the right hand of the Lupus X back, Ohal's mobile suit followed his rapid command, reared back his heat sword, and threw the heat sword forward at the torso of the Gizen (r).The Gizen (r) slash it in mid-air, staggering back to maintain its balance.

This was it.It was an unfair attack, but Ohal knew he was outmatch, the Gizen (r) was just to damn fast of a mobile suit when compared to his Lupus X and it was time to use every trick in the book.Even as his heat sword sail towards the Gizen, the Lupus X left hand snagged his empty 76mm heavy machinegun from its waist rack and threw into the right hand as the Gizen slash his heat sword in two.The left hand slidded the loaded clip out of the waist slot, while his right ejected the empty one in the 76mm heavy machinegun and reloaded even before the two pieces of the heat sword scattered on the ground.

'_Checkmate'_

Ohal felt a sudden surge of superiority at his sudden advantage; in a gun against heat sword battle, the gun would win every time if used properly; in a battle of mobile suits it wasn't the best pilot that always one, it was the cleverest, and he was by far the cleverest." You were going to kill me huh.Well kill this you dick sicking piece of shit."

The Lupus X right holding the 76mm heavy machinegun snapped forward and fire a burst.The Gizen (r) barely sidestepped the first burst and open up its thrusters pushing it back against the El Nino that was behind it, even as Ohal tracked in on the Gizen (r). Its thrusters increase power suddenly catapulting the Gizen (r) up into the air, doing backflip with well timed control burst of its thrusters over the atmospheric attack carrier, its mono-eye flaring angrily for a split second as it remain upside down in mid-air, before it vanish out of sight, even as the line of tracers raked across the El Nino left wing, up across its body and through the empty air where the Gizen had been seconds ago, earning a grimaced from Ohals lips.He was going to have to pay for those scratches.

Ohal followed, realizing his prey was about to escape and power jumped the Lupus X over the El Nino, glancing once at the six holes on the side of the El Nino as his Lupus X rosed above the El Nino and swored inwardly.The Lupus X glided above, firing a burst of its 76mm heavy machinegun, hitting nothing but dirt in front of it as it landed with a crump sound, his proximity alarm blared and Ohal stared at his secondary monitors and located the Gizen (r) kneeling against the transport behind him, a machinegun in its right hand his computer couldn't identify, its barrel leveling at his Lupus X back.The Gizen (r) head and machiegun barrel flash in rapid successions.

He tried to evade, but the triple lines of tracers were already in the air, Ohal felt the Lupus X shudder violently from the impacts and the main monitor exploded in front of him, imbedding his flight suit with glass.Ohal felt the jarring crash as his Lupus X slammed face first into the ground, exacting a squeal from his lips and and a pleading look on his face.In haste, he tried to search-out the manuel hatch over-ride in the darkness and realized he couldn't move his ams or legs.His mouth filled with blood and he collapse forward against the glass, several piercing his facial skin, and then he realized one of those rounds had pierced the Lupus X thinner armor back and struck him in the back.

Suddenly as his eyes became heavy, all he could remembered was Kerina, the fourteen year old Lucanite girl.There she was floating before his eyes, looking very much the same way as when he had for the very first time laid eyes on her five years ago, just before he had deflower her in the high grass in a field less than eleven kilometers northwest of Opan Air Force Base in Southern Lucan.Her skirt ripped to shred, her belly bleeding, screaming with pain and yet he had derived a painful pleasure from it.Then he heard the sound of roaring jet engines, that same so far away and everything became an endless dark abyss.

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As the lines of high-velocity leads reach forth on an intercepting course towards the Grave, Vicati leapt back and side-stepped.The hail of high-velocity tracers zipped across the space where her Grave had just been, digging the land wide open in there fury.The Grave's composite armor shrugged off the smaller calibre 20mm rounds, but that didn't stop a few anti-tank rockets from chewing away at the right shoulder armor and of her new Gyriq right arm, stripping off the fresh paint and stencil steel armor plates.

Another Chimera came on her main screen picture, hovering low, firing rockets on the Kalaroian forces dug-in defense formation.Two Zergize exploded in the midst of their retreat, dropping that former four tank platoon to one.

Vicati turned her control sticks and turned the Grave right.The Grave reached out with its 100mm machinegun at her command, and fired a three round burst, the shells drilled into the helo that had come out of nowhere, causing fatal damage that the small aircraft succumb to as it exploded in mid-air and crashed to the ground in a jumble of smoking wreckage.

The clip went dry, having used most of the 32-rounds early to scorch two unlucky Chimeras out of the sky and a Lupus D equiped with a 380mm bazooka.She reloaded immediately in the midst of stepping back twenty meters.Another Chimera was less than six hundred meters ahead.Vicati replaced the 100mm machinegun on its rack and snagged her 310mm bazooka, even as her recticle settle over it.She fired at exactly the same time as that Chimera stopped in mid-air to fired two HEAP missiles.Her 310mm bazooka shell blew the Chimera into a fireball of burning metals.Forty meters behind her, a Gyriq exploded from the two HEAP anti-tank missiles, its head sailing high behind a tail of gray smoke.

A hand signal to her left from Athan signal another withdraw, Vicati needed no encouragement.She cringed, looking at her main camera, and brought the twin sticks all the way back.The Grave raced backwards and then left as she tried too lock on another target while on the move.The Grave had to stay still to aim properly and fire its 310mm bazooka accurately, and it was death to stay still any longer than three seconds she had learn.

Three Lupus Ds burst out from the trees in front of Vicati's Grave.An immediately fired across the line killing another pair of retreating tanks, then one was hit by a high speeding object trailing gray smoke and exploded into a fireball, its metal armor raining on its comrads.The remains of the burning Lupus D collapse backwards.To her right Varl skidded to a stop and fired off his 125mm hip mounted cannon once, the projectile missing the Lupus D by a meter and exploding the dirt behind it.

An olive green and brown mobile suit suddenly appeared between her Grave and Varls. It was similar to a Gyriq, but nearly identical to a Grave with larger leg and backpack thrusters, but both the side of its head had a large rabbit ear-type communication antennas.It fired off four quick rounds of a Gyriq 380mm bazooka, blowing up both Lupus Ds in blazed of glory, before skidding back behind her Grave.Vicati mono-eye tracked it while staggering stepping backwards, her IFF scan identified it as a friendly; which meant it was Kalaroian and her computer identified it as Ratheon Institute protype model, an RMX-01 Gaiser, its weapons load was unknown, but it seem able to carry Gyriq weaponary.She didn't bother wondering how her computer was able to identify this mobile suit, it was here and it was killing Guild, anything else could be ask later.

Another helo suddenly came over the trees ahead, ripple firing its HEAP anti-tank missiles.A moment later a HEAT round from Varls 125mm cannon exploded it like a firecracker seen on festivities.

Vicati turned back to her battles and watched two smoke trails reaching out to their postion. One exploded the ground to her left, kicking up a cloud of smoke and dirt, the second plowed into a Zergize, blowing that tank apart.Thick gray smoke from burning military vehicles littered all about blew westward with the wind, making it harder too see the enemy and the fires mixed with minovsky particles interference made infrared scans impossible, but everything was burning hot, from both sides; even the damn trees Vicati swore.Fort Nirka was less than a kilometer behind them now, less than a minute walk at a mobile suits normal pace, but they were giving up ground for time every minute and that minute was less than fifteen seconds away.Vicati had counted nine Chimeras, three Ra Laspers, seven Lupus Ds and one Lupus G destroyed, and there was no telling how many more of each there was.To top it off her 100mm machinegun was down to its last 8-rounds, with one loaded clip and the 310mm bazooka only had two shells remaining.

Fort Nirka defense forces light armored infantry vechicles, Gyriqs and Zergizes tanks were really in the fight now, but were down to less than half of what their main strength had been an hour earlier .The Guild Lupus Ds numbers was down, when compared to their previous fighting strengt, and layed back at four hundred meters, engaging the defense force position with 76mm, 380mm and 140mm cannon shells.Things were slowing down, it gived her time to slowed her breathing before the next major attack came.Unfortunately that same to be now as her threat receivers alerted her to the advancing units and she raised her bazooka barrel to face ahead..

The six Lupus Ds burst from the trees ahead, behind and above them coming in nine hundred meter altitude was a massive AT-31 gunship.Almost immediately its vulcan cannons and miniguns sprayed the path ahead of the Lupus Ds with high velocity tracers, that ripped through the defense force's position at an unbelievable speed.

Vicati and the Gyriqs retaliated in kind, firing off their last rounds of 310mm and 380mm bazooak shells, followed in by anti-tank rockets and anti-aircraft guns from Fort Nirka in the rear in a wild battle that included surface to air missiles that blazed in from out of no where.The AT-31 cracked open like an egg with a thunderous Boom, as the sky was crisscross with smoke trails and suddenly the AT-31 disintegrated into falling fireball of twisted metal sheets.

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_'Sonofabitch,_' Dale swore from his position a thousand meters behind the marine position.He'd just learned his first valuable lesson. A single AT-31 could never hope to survive against a well entrench and armed foe.Just when he thought that AT-31 would make the difference and turn the tide of the battle into the marines favor quickly, it had been blown out of the sky by a hail of tracers, SAMs and mobile suit fire, ending the marines air power permanently.All of his helos and Ra Laspers had been committed to the front line and had been lost, those that were readily available were committed else; even the Lupos Stratus force had been diverted to the Capital or VeiNoir base.

But now that did not matter, this battle was about to end nontheless.Even as he watch, he could see through the Marauder's main camera picture as the four giant CT-30Cs began combat dropping there compliment of twelve Lupus Gs of the 84th Airborne Divison to the west of Fort Nirka, there thrusters slowing their drop just outside of Fort Nirka defense line, additional units were already combat dropping on Mateuss and VeiNor base, and the fourth Air-Motor Rifle Company were landing in the Kalaroian capital city even as he watched.In moments the four transports haad completed there task of combat dropping the mobile suits and turned west slowly.Already on their way back to Guild Socialist Ministry country to retrieve the rest of the 84th Airborne Division.

He turned his main camera picture to the east of Fort Nirka, where the battle was less intense and progress was much better; mainly due to the fact that his Requiem Team was there supported by a squad of marine Lupus Ds.Dale glanced at his time, Ohal was late or the old fart had had enough battle for the day and wanted to come out after the battle was over,claiming the glory of others.It was no surprise to Dale, the old fart had build his career on the backs of real soldiers such as himself and his team.

_'Let the shithead stay in a nice safe place and let real soldiers do their thing_,' Dale thought, without hestation.Dale launched a green flare into the sky, an order of chaos given form and began skidding his Marauder across the field towards Fort Nirka.His orders was to capture an LFA mobile suit, everything else could die and that was fine with him.Only the strong needed to survive in this battlefield, all else needed to step aside or get crashed.

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Somewhere east of Fort Nirka.The two remaining Gyriqs of Fort Nirkas east defense line fired a desperate burst of there obsolete 105mm machineguns as a dettering factor, more than to actually kill anything, but ultimately hitting nothing but open air and only serving to amused Second Lieutenant Kelvin Gonz as he closed in on them at the Marauder maximum ground speed of 195 kph. As he had trained for countless hours, he zig-zag until he was on top of the enemy, almost touching it before he activated his heat sword, the increase in temperature made the blade glow red hot and he slashed upward into the Gyriq cockpit.Behind him Enisa satisfied her battle cravings with the next one, firing from a hundred meters distance and exploding this Gyriq into scrap metal with a perfect 420mm bazooka shell to the torso.Stencil steel fragments from the Gyriq rained down on Gonz Marauder's shoulder armor as he kicked his dead Gyriq to the ground and watched it burst into flames.

He turned the Marauder around and stared up at the distinctive green flare in the distance and smiled inwardly.' _About time, what was keeping those common soldiers.'_

Gonz crashed the Gyriq's head with his Marauder's boot-like heel and glanced at the remnants of a battalion of vehicles and mobile suits.His main camera locked on a Zergize reversing away at a quarter its usual speed.Signaling to the rest of Requiem Team with a snap of his heat sword forward towards Fort Nirka less than two klicks away, Gonz activated his Marauder's backpack thrusters, while replacing his heat sword to recharge and unlatching the 76mm heavy machinegun.

Before he could target the Zergize, Sergeant Kyleno exploded it with a 420mm bazooka round and skidded forward and away, towards Fort Nirka with four Marine Lupus Ds hot on his tails and barely able to keep up.Gonz howl with delight inside his helmet, turn to stared at Enisa for a split second and kicked his on own thrusters as he began pursuing Kyleno's Marauder unit.

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A Gyriq thump its way pass, hydraulics screeching and sparks emitting from its leg and shoulder joints so badly were they damage, Athan paid it no mind as his Grave staggered back pass the last line of defense and into Fort Nirka itself.Nothing they had done had slowed, let alone stop the Guild invasion forces, for every mobile suit they kill, two more seem to replace it.Any hope of leaving Fort Nirka had vanish, he, no, his team would either die here today or become prisoners that was fast becoming a fact and that was only minutes away.His mono-eye snapped front right, its recticle landing on Vicati's Grave, watching as Vicati spit a line of tracers into Guild Defense line, to his front left Varl's own Grave stopped long enough to fire two HEAT rounds ahead.One receiving a satisfactory flash.

Athan doubt they had much ammo left, he was down to his last 10-rounds of his right hand 100mm machinegun.He might get himself a Lupus D or maybe a Lupus G and that would be it.An explosion sound behind his Grave made him turn his attention to the secondary monitors.The Gyriq that had walked pass seconds earlier was a walking fireball and a rain of shrapnel.

" What the..." Athan said snapping his mono-eye ahead right and left, there were at least a dozen Lupus Gs to his left and even a few blips to his right, and that could main only one thing.The clock was ticking on Fort Nirka and nothing they did would matter in a few minutes.

" Don't just stand there, shoot," boomed the voice of Tabaro Wilisk across his speakers, it came full of static.Minovsky particles had reduce low enough for line of sight laser communication and Athan turned around, trying to locate the man, responsible fo replacing Vicati's Grave right hand with a Gyriq hand.It had helped, alot.What he saw less than fifteen meters was the Gaiser that had join the battle earlier. It took a step forward and fired two 105mm machineguns ahead of it, its arm jerking back rapidly from the recoils.Without a noise canceller it sounded like a thunder stormed on speed.

Athan swore and turned to his left in the direction of the hail of tracers, his 100mm machinegun elevating in that direction.He rememberd a urban legend from a few years back of a mechanic that had been killed by a 105mm shell casing, as the Gaiser pured volley after volley into an area in front of it, kicking up a cloud of smoke and dust.From inside the dust storm swirling and raising in the distance, a gray and black TMS-18J Marauder raced out, unharmed, trailing smoke behind it, dust showering its shoulder armor.Its thrusters kicked on behind it and catapulting it forward at an unbelievable speed, the 105mm tracers zipped pass, a few connecting with its torsoand bouncing off into the sky, it was zipping right and left in a zig-zag pattern at speed even a Grave computer would have trouble tracking and it showed as the Gaiser missed wide right or left, the few rounds that did connect, didn't even slowed the mobile suit down.Athan staggered back, his 100mmmachnegun spitting a line of tracers towards it.

' _Goddam it Elites, what are they doing here._'

The tracers went wide, even as the Marauder snagged a heat sword and closed in on the Gaiser and slash across, as his own 100mm machinegun emptied and in desperation, Athan dropped the 100mm machinegun to crash to the ground and grabbed the heat rapier on its waist armor rack, watching as the Marauder sliced the barrel of the 105mm machinegun in the Gaiser's left hand as it sped pass, made a 180-degree turn in 1.79 seconds; as a rocket-type engine roar overhead; and slash again, catching the tip of the barrel of the right hand 105mm machinegun as the Gaiser thrusters kicked it back and away from the Marauder.Athan kicked his own thrusters on and went in on the Marauder left flank heat rapier swinging, knowing his chance of survival had dropped even lower to what it once was.

Very few people could claimed to have brought down a regular forces Marauder, but only one person was said to have taken out one piloted by an elite syber force pilot.

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Gonz burst on the scene and brought his Marauder to a full-stop, mono-eye tracking left and right, ahead of him to his front left he watched Lieutenant Dale cross heat swords with with two mobile suits his computer was unable to identified. To his front right another two mobile suits, identical in paint and design to one Dale was engage with, covering each other.He swored inwardly and depress his transmitt switch to the teams frequency."I thought there was suppose to be only one type of unknown, there's two types."

Enisa and Kyleno's Marauders stopped to his left and right flank." That's what we were told,' Kyleno confirmed.

" Then we capture both types, looks like a promotion is in store for everyone.Enisa and Kyleno frag those two new models over there.I'll go support Lieutenant Dale and help capture those two models." Gonz ordered as he kicked on his Marauder's thrusters to full power, while unlatching his recharged heat sword, he aimed straight for the unknown mobile suit with the large antennas pointing up.

Gonz snickered as he could clearly hear Enisa mutterring, the young pilot clearly wanted to be the one to support the lieutenant, but elite syber force or not, she was still a buck Sergeant, and as a second lieutenant he was exercising his legitimate perrogatives as senior officer on the scene, beside helping to capture two new models and saving Dales ass would put a notch in his already esteem reptuation that would be an envy of the other elites and who knows, earn him a fast track to his own command.

Behind him Enisa dropped her Marauder to its left knee and shouldered the 420mm bazooka, taking aim even as Kyleno kicked on his Marauder's thrusters pushing him towards one of the two unknown mobile suits, while the four Lupus Ds scatted in pairs and began destroying what was left of Fort Nirka defense forces.

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Sweating and swearing inside her own Grave, Vicati manipulated her Grave 100mm machinegun and stitched another line of tracers, effectively emptying her 100mm machinegun and scorching another Lupus Gs. It was the third mobile suit she had bagged in the last five minutes and the 6th mobile suit kill in her personal book, making her as of today a mobile suit ace pilot; which meant she get to choose her own personal emblem for her Grave.Ironically that will never get to happen, she knew better than anyone else, this was her last battle.All the pep talks Athan had given couldn't shake that feeling of dred, if she had found a way of this rock, she would have taken it without a second thought.

Unfortunately there wasnt, not a single transport, military or civilians was available, which meant she ws stuck here until the Guild arrive.Vicaiti had already decided that if she was going to die, she was going to die while taking alot of Guild with her. Atleast now she got to die as an ace.Her proximity alarmed continously screamed with enemy threats, but this was to her right back.She twisted her mobile suit head slightly and saw on her main camera a single smoke trail blazing in on her and there was no time to do any sort of evasion maneuver.Vicati closed her eyes in fright as a shadow moved at the edge of her monitor from the right.

_' This is it.I'm sorry mom, I've fail you_.

He Grave speaker burst to life with a static filled yelled." Vicati get back now."

Vicati eyes flew open just in time to see a shape shudder violently as flames same to burst around it on her main screen picture.It took a few moments for Vicati to compose herself and realized that she was still alive and then to recognized that it was Varl's Grave that was shudderring in front of her monitor.

_'Oh no, Varl'_ Vicati eyes flew opened as her senses began to work properly.She could see that Varl's Grave was in terrible conditions, its left arm and leg were severly damage, the left shoulder armor had been blown off and there was no sign of the head anywhere, the charred burnt Grave took one staggering step forward, before falling chest first to the ground and exploding into a large fireball of flying metal fragments.

Vicati screeched loudly in mixture of fear and horror, and stared ahead at her main camera picture, trying to identify targets, but the only thing on her screen was a Guild gray and black mobile suit that she recognized as a TMS-18J Maruader she had not detected or seen coming at her at full speed, a red hot heat sword pose for a side slash.Her 100mm machinegun was empty, she had ejected her 310m bazooka from her shoulder hardpoints several minutes ago, the only weapon she had was the heat rapier and by the time she reached for it the Marauder would be on her.The Grave stagger backwards as her eyes widen in tear-filled fright and hit something hard behind her, preventing her from moving as the Marauder slash, its heat sword aiming for her torso, its mono-eye glowing red inside its X-shape faceplate in victory as she closed her eyes and release the twin sticks bring her hands to face in a reflective action for protection.

Vicati felt a shudder against the back of her Grave, as if something moved against it, then the sounding of metal against metal with a high pitch sound she felt in her guts and suddenly it was quiet.Eyes closed in anticipation of the searing heat of the Guild T-S/31 heat sword connecting with her flesh, Vicati waited for what seemed like an eternity.After counting to five, she open her eyes, the Marauder was less than half a meter from her Grave, almost touching it. Its right hand, holding the heat sword stretched outward to its right side, in the same direction it had been when it was about to slash at her Grave torso, but slightly in a down angle now.She tilted her Grave mono-eye up slightly, her face twisting into confusion.

A third mobile suit was present on her monitor, even as the red mono-eye of the Marauder went dim suddenly.The second mobile suit, armed stretch over her Grave right shoulder armor and she followed it, to the hand, that held a hilt of a white hot heat sword that her computer identified as T-S/32 sword, but she vaguely remembered seeing from somewhere.The rest of it was deep inside the Marauder torso, right where the cockpit was located.The glowing heat sword slipped out, the molten metal already beginning to cool, and Vicati slowly realized that what she had bum into was this mobile suit behind her.

Over the open channel, in a low voice Vicati recognized from the Latana plains, was the words." One day your trying to kill me and the next, I'm saving your flat butt.'

The words flat butt echoed in her ears like a slap in the face, suddenly Vicati saw red and her face twisted into a look that could kill, a look of pure hatred; Varl's death vanish in her mind like a puff of smoke. Men were all the same, they could never look at a female pilot and consider them to be an asset or an equal in a mobile suit.All they saw was a piece of ass, to chase; a quick fuck to relieve their manly frustration, it was the same in the LFA. She'd caught Athan staring at her with lust in his eyes more than once; and more than once Neko had commented about wanting to sample her womanly goodies.For a stranger to tell her she had flat butt; when she knew full well her butt was miles from ever being flat, was the last straw. Her mouth open**" I DON"T HAVE NOR WILL I EVER HAVE A FLAT ASS YOU PIECE OF SHIT."**

The mobile suit her computer identified as the Gizen (r) free hand, the one without the heat sword brush her aside with a shove and snagged a 76mm machinegun from its waist armor rack, swing it behind her and stitch a line of tracers between itself and one Lupus G that had just planted a 380mm bazooka round into the last operating Zergize; the only Zergize she could see anyway.The Guild mobile suit seem to dance as it was riddle with armor-piercers, collapsing to the ground with a puff of gray smoke, its pilot never ever seeing what killed it.Even before that Lupus G had dropped, the 76mm machinegun had snapped across and fired another burst, the rounds smacking another Lupus G turning towards their suits in the torso, dropping this one with multiple shots to the cockpit.

Vicati stared flabbergasted.'_ Two mobile suit kills in less than five seconds.Who the fuck is this guy.'_

" I don't give a krill about your butt, your tits, your face or your life.But if you can talk shit, you can fight," said the pilot coldly.Suddenly Vicati found the 76mm heavy machinegun being pushed into her Grave's right hands, a spare clip into her left with a fluid motion." I owe you one for that bazooka round yesterday, so try not to die until I kill you myself."

Vicati stared at the weapons, not sure if she really alive, this could all be an illusion, a perfect picture created by her mind to erase the fact she was already dead.She stared across, a few light infantry vehicles where being destroyed by a pair of Lupus Gs and she stared at the 76mm heavy and shrugged, if this was death, she might as well do what she was doing in the first place.Glancing back at the Gizen (r), she watched it snagged a machinegun her computer couldn't identify on its waist armor rack, fired of two seperate burst, activated its thrusters behind it and catapult it forward, towards where Athan's Grave and that Gaiser was engaging a pair of Marauders.

Vicati watched the Gizen (r) thrusters flaring behind it as it continued on, before turning to face the two Lupus Gs and her jaw dropped, shell shocked.Both Lupus Gs that had been destroying the light infantry vehicles in the distance just secoonds ago were a smoldering pile of burning metal and she had a clear idea what had killed them to.But there was still at least four or five Lupus Gs in front of her main camera. Vicati elevated the 76mm heavy machinegun and thundered forward towards them." I'm not going to die, I'm not going to die."

Suddenly there was a spark of hope growing inside her, although small.There was the chance they might just live to see another day.A small chance, but one nonetheless.


	13. Chapter 12

**Mobile Suit Gundam: Vanguard Blitz**

**Chapter 12**

**_Deikumia Foundation_**

' _Now's the time as any to move out_,' Phollia thought as she flipped a switch near her left elbow, rechecked the rest of her switch configurations, then nestle her butt deeper into her seat and tightened up her lap belt and shoulder straps.' _Hope the areas deserted of Guild troops like its suppos to be_."

Phollia pressed a small switch light on the right hand switch panel market COMBAT, and just as quickly, the checklist was complete for bringing the ERS-06B Grave from standby to arming the weapons systems, configuring the threat warning and defensive systems and preparing the computers, mobile suit systems, and avionics for combat.Phollia glanced at the HUD as they reported all the sub-systems status and then prepared herself to move deeper into enemy occupied territory.It took only ten seconds to confirmed that the computer had switched all systems into Combat mode.' _Its show time_.'

There was one thing Phollia hated more than anything else, and that was sitting idle.Which is exactly what she had been doing for who knows how long.With an ease of the twin sticks, Phollia brought the Grave to its full height, the water level dropping to the mobile suits' lower torso.The mono-eye turret move right and left, scanning for movements and heat sources.Nothing.Taking a deep breathe, she climbed up the cast bank and went for cover, before turning back to stare at the Vesti river through her main camera picture.Misha's Grave was next, repeating the same steps she did, scanning first and making the break into the forest and taking position forty meters next to her, twim 100mm machineguns up and ready.One by one the mobile suits of Alpha Company rose out the river, slipping into woods until all twelve mobile suits were in position in the woods covering a 360-degree defensive view.

" Its still daylight.We'll remain here and rest up.Give our mobile suits time to dry, air out and get a bite to eat.Not to mention doing a full check of all your systems.The specs said this mobile suit could operate for an hour underwater, but no one mention what ill affects it will have on the weapons," said Phollia flipping the hatch switch and exiting the cockpit, after fighting with the safety straps.

She hit the ground a minute later and barely felt her legs, she wobble over to a tree and slump to the ground and raise a map to her face looking." Azah base." It was still a ways off, sixty kilometers away to be exact.An hour walk by mobile suit in peace time, but at least a three to four hour move in war time and even longer if you didn't want to be spotted by anything with metal skin .

Misha came over and handed her a MRE package that said peas soup; but tasted like dried baby formula, but then again could have been burnt flour." You think we can win."

Phollia grunted." If you mean complete our mission, possibly.It all depends on what the Guild has waiting for us."

" But why Azah base.In Foundation land no less.We could have just gone after Unterrem city or at the 3rd Terrestrial Fleet."

" Simple, take out Azah base and we take out one of the largest logistical and support base the Guild has in Deikumia.In a few days all of Azah base operations will fall to Gulvanized base and it'll become just another rear base no one cares about," Phollia answered. She stretch and open a canteen, taking sip of water.Four Graves were on guard, covering each points of the compass, the rest of Alpha Company was either lock in conversation, checking up on the mobile suits or fast asleep.Good, they would need it." The main points of Operation Hell Strike was to draw away some of Azah base defense units and take out the major supply bridges that lead directly to Lucan.We've done that.Now its time for phase two, take out the supply base itself."

Misha nodded, but his face was still itch in confusion." Then we go back to taking the fight back home, to Lucan."

Phollia nodded, Lieutenant Ahern nodded to her from a distance, informing her without words that her mobile suit had been checked, she rose." Get some rest Misha, and try not to open your wounds."

She moved back to her Grave and slipped into the cockpit, to began a system wide diagnostic and system check.They were just hours away from a major engagement and there was a dozen and then some Guild units between them and there target.Getting there would be nearly impossible;except she had one ace up her sleeve that made it all possible; if not to easy.Phollia brought out her keyboard and open a small special antenna on her Grave backpack; onlt three existed on the entire planet, another one could be found on Malik's Gyriq Customs."What's the sounding Lieutenant Aragon."

" **Looking good so far, Commander Kessaro.You have a Guild MRC thirty kilometers to the west and another one to the northest.I'll give you a safe navagational path towards** **Azah** **base when your ready to move out.Should be able to avoid contact until you get to Azah**,'" came the slow reply from the depths of space.

" Thank you.Its hard enough piloting this low tech mobile suit to its full potential, without it falling apart on me."

"** I can always send you the SGX-XA1010.The guys don't have much to do up here, so they keep it in great shape and the new upgrades to die for**."

Phollia sighed.Her personal Gundam, she hadnt seen it in fifteen years, what type of upgrade had it gone through after all those years." Krause already has his gundam hidden on the surface, can't have two down here.That reminds me, tell me Aragon how's he doing."

"** You mean Captain Krause or young Kessaro."**

She felt her heart sunk and she gaze out the open hatch to the trees ahead." Both."

" **Its been fifteen years and Krause's still swearing that we exile him down there because of what happen in the Ander star system.As for young Kessaro...**

Phollia eyes narrrowed deeply as Aragon trail off, the speakers remained silent ten seconds to long." What is it."

" **At this very moment he's battling the Guild on Kalaro isles, with help from a pair of LFA pilots and whats left of the Kalaroian defense force.You don't want to know who he's battling against**."

At the mention of her son battling on Kalaro isles, Phollia had already sat upright and closed the hatch, sealing herself from the eyes and ears of the outside world." What do you mean Kailyno's battling on Kalaro, when did he, how did...Where's Krause, he knows better than to leave Kailyno alone.'

Aragon sighed and spent the next few minutes bringing her up to date on the current situation."**So it was kinda accidental, but he's focus and kicking ass if I might add**."

To Phollia it sounded like dream, her son.Her prodigy piloting a mobile suit, when he hated them more than being force to live on this world." What does Commander Deleuz and Briton have to say about this."

"**They don't know.They left a few months ago onboard the Zalieum to investigate the sighting of a possible Praetorian fleet in one of the nearby star systems.Haven't heard anything from** **them moment they left**." Aragon voiced carried a hint on concern.

" Impossible.They can't or won't move an entire fleet this far out, not unless they have a re-supply point in a nearby system and that's out of the question.We would have known if they did._But then again, what did she know, she'd been trapped on this planet for the last fifteen years_, _anything could have happpen in that time.Shit, why didn't Briton contact me_." Phollia stared right and left inside the cockpit with only the red glow of the instrument panels offering her light." I don't like it, call Krause, get him and the SGX-XA1040 topside immediately."

_"_**What about young Kessaro."**

" Leave him to me.If he wants to join this war for revenge, leave him be.It'll be better than any training we can give him and he'll have the battle experience for when him and I fight."Phollia smiled inside, her mind already coming with a plan for another day." Let him know I'm with the LFA in Lucan.

" **Admiral Kessaro's not going to like this one bit.You want me to tell young Kessaro your in Lucan, he might just go the opposite direction you know**."

" He'll come.Call it a mother's instinct if you will, besides he knows the only way off this planet and back into space is through me." Phollia chuckle to herself."Now get me the layout and the troop composition of Azah base and what we'll be up against."

"** Yes ma'am.I'll have it within the hour and update you on troop movements on the hour every hour, Aragon out**."

_'I couldn't have plan this better myself.Once we head back into space, Kailyno will have had all the combat experience of a veteran. The only draw back is he's piloting these piles of junk, there's no way he can handle piloting a standard SMS-1000S Vegiz II."_

To say she was not worried about her son would be an understatement, as a mother she had kept him away from boys his age; for the simple fact of preventing mental attachments that could hinder his ability later on, and as a commander she had taught him to be nothing but the best soldier as as she could.Ratheon Institute had been a bonus and nothing more, the more he hated her the better he became.The more anger he had towards her bottle up inside of him had been a catalystwaiting to blow and he had jumped ahead of his class in all the course he took because of that.Anger was one thing, what about revenge.Revenge is a two edge sword that's as deadly as minovsky particles.It can either help or get you kill.

' _Damn kid.What is he thinking piloting a mobile suit using an unpredictable emotion such as revenge.Idiot's gonna get himself kill and then I'm going to have to raze the GSM country from space.'_

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**_Kalaro Isles_**

At that very moment, Kailyn mind was far from revenge.His thoughts was locked on the three remaining Lupus Ds arrayed in front him.There was the smoking wreckages of a fourth and a second Marauder to his back right.Wisp of gray smoke, crackling of burning ammunition and propellant still visible on his secondary cameras picture.The Marauder pilot had been stupid, drawing his attention to it by trying to take him out with a 420mm bazooka round, to top it off the pilot had lacked any sort of melee skills whatsoever, he had simply close-in to close for the pilot to used its range weapon.The entire mobile suit had seem to shrink back in fear as the Seraph heat blade had came down, sinking effortless into its thick left shoulder armor down into the cockpit.Burning the pilot alive into a crisp.He admitted to himself then and there that some Elite Syber Force pilots didn't earn the right to call themselves elites; but then again he was a Noire Knight, also known as an anti-elite syber force enforcer.

Kicking on the Gizen (r) main thrusters, he went in a wide arc twelve meters of the ground and circle around the Lupus Ds watching as one spit a line of tracers, that was slowly tracking and closing in on him.The tracers whipping pass almost eighteen inches behind the Gizen (r), striking dirt and ripping holes into a hanger, suddenly without hesitation Kailyn change course and went in directly towards this Lupus D almost the exact moment its 76mm heavy machinegun went dry.The second Lupus D took a snap shot at the Gizen (r) with its TSG-19/A2 80mm shotgun, but hitting nothing but air as the more mobile mobile suit leapt right and then powered jumped towards the 76mm heavy machinegun carrying Lupus D.With an upward slash, Kailyn sliced off the right hand by the wrist assembly along with the 76mm heavy machinegun it was holding and followed in with a shoulder slam.Feeling the impact in his teeth and down to the twin controls, even as he skidded the Gizen (r) towards the final Lupus D with the 80mm shotgun and fired off the last few rounds of the Juri assault rifle, the 60mm API round drilling neat holes into the torsos hatch plate armor right where the cockpits were of the two undamage Lupus Ds, even as the third Lupus D crashed downed on the asphalt, kicking up a cloud of dust and leaving a zig-zag crack.

He dropped the 60mm assault rifle, watching it clatter to the ground on his secondary cameras, mentally recording its whereabouts and turn around.Watching on his main screen picture, the Gaiser was losing ground badly up against a Marauder to his front left as they both cross heat sword against Seraph heat blade, while to his front right and further back another Marauder was trading heat sword against heat rapier and doing just as good.To the northwest the Grave with the Gyriq armed was trading tracers from three hundred meters away with six Lupus Gs and losing ground.He picked up the 80mm shotgun, replaced the Seraph heat blade on its charger and walked over the to the Lupus D with one hand, only now raising to its feet.Ratched a round into the massive shotgun chamber and pointed it at the Lupus D backpack from a range of five meters and fired the hypershot, the pellets spreading over its backpack and punching through its thinner armor backpack.Skidding the Gizen (r) a dozen meters back, Kailyn increase thruster output and flew away as the backpack exploded and the Lupus D collapse to ground face first, nearly intact.

Slowing to a stop a thousand meters above, Kailyn evaluated the area below as the Gizen (r) slowed into a hovering position in mid-air, scanning with the mono-eye.Two Marauders and five Lupus Gs was what remain of the Guild invasion force, and only three mobile suits, his Gizen (r) making it four mobile suits that was left of Fort Nirka defense force.He switched to the chest mounted multiple-purpose launchers and tilted the Gizen (r) in a 75-degree angle in mid-air, with short burst of its wing binders thrusters to maintain a stationary position.

Kailyn brought the recticle to bear on the Lupus G holding further back and providing covering fire for the others and chuckle inside the helmet as the buzzing tone of the missile lock-on.' That better be the commander inside that unit." Kailyn depress the trigger, instantly sending a pair of AS-11 at the Lupus G and the second pair for good measure at a second Lupus G moving in on the Grave from the left flank, even as the Grave raked the Lupus G coming in from the right flank with 76mm API tracers, the Lupus G pancaking face first on the ground.Even before the Lupus G had fully impact the ground, the Lupus G that may or may not have been the commander X-shape faceplate looked up and its right hand 76mm machinegun fired a burst upwards at the rockets, both missiles rain down on it unscathed, followed by the second pair of AS-11s ripping off an arm and a leg of the second Lupus G.The commander mobile suit vanish behind a cloud of dust, followed by secondary explosions of dust and flames immediately.

The results had a telling effect, reduce to two units in the space of a few seconds the remaining Lupus Gs skidded back on there own thrusters and power jumped backwards into the trees, out of sight.Normally it was better to kill them off, but he was out of ammo and the Gizen (r) was reaching its highest tolerable heat.Withdrawing his partially charge Seraph heat blade, Kailyn angle the Gizen (r) head first and dove towards the Marauder engage with the Gaiser with a short burst of the main thrusters.

The sudden beeping of his communication monitor force him to pulled on the twin sticks and climb back upwards and return to a stationary hovering position a thousand feet above the ground, he flipped the switch half pissed." Who the krill is this."

"**Still going soft on your targets young Kessaro."**

Kailyn swore inwardly." Aragon.Why don't you eject youself out of an airlock and suck vacuum. I'm busy." He turned his attention back to the Marauder and took aim for another flight down.

" **Chill kiddo.I'm just here to give you a message from Commander Kessaro**."

Kailyn hands suddenly froze on the twin sticks and his heart skip a beat, an impulsive reaction he fail in vain to prevent." The oldman's back in this star system."

"**Not your father kiddo.Your mother, she wanted me to inform you she's currently with the LFA forces in Lucan.Actually, she's been raising hell in Deikumia with the LFA forces only today, but you get the overall message."**

' _Oh_.LFA again.Do they even stand a chance against the Guild," Kailyn asked, mildly interested.

" **Well as of today, they carried out a double operation.With commander Kessaro leading the operation in Deikumia and while a second operation manage to capture a Guild base in Lucan, freed a small town and as of two minutes ago regain full control of a major city call Unterrem near the border with Deikumia.But honestly in one word, their screwed.Once the Guild retaliate in full force, it'll be over fast."**

"What about Kalaro Isles, can you give me a status report." Kailyn asked, mono eye tracking both Marauders, the second Grave join its comrad and tag-team one.

Aragon huffed and blew on the speakers, and then their was silent for the moment."**What do I look like, the information network**."

Kailyn swore, very irritated." Aragon, don't give me an excuse to kill you faster than I plan to."

"** Fine, fine.Let's see...hmmm...interesting...wow...yes...Kalaros isles finish.Mateuss base has fallen, as well as the** **capital city, Zavian.The Guild are moving through VeiNor base with little to no resistence.Besides what happening at Fort Nirka there is little to no resistence on the entire island.Shit, there's movements heading your way.Mobile suits."**

Kailyn slumped his chair, eyes staring ahead at his main camera picture, but ultimately seeing nothing.Below both Graves were putting up a firce fight with heat rapiers, but the Marauder pilot was holding his own.That pilot was no slouch, it would be a shame to kill him before he had a chance to fight him himself Kailyn mused.The mono-eyes tracked in on the Gaiser and the second Marauder, he had already determine the pilot was Lieutenant Tabaro Wilisk; how he knew that was beyond him, and for a grease monkey the guy was putting up a fierce fight as the Gaiser deflected or parry each thrust and stab while staggering backwards."How many units."

" **Sixteen suits, profile matches them to Lupus Ds and Lupus Gs, ETA seventeen minutes.That's all from your friendly neighborhood source of information.Try not to get kill will you."**

_'Oh bloody krill'_ Kailyn swore.On his main monitor he watched as the Gaiser's right hand was sliced cleanly off from the elbow assembly by a fake stab that twisted into a side-slash as the Marauder slided pass with a burst of its backpack thrusters.He watched as it turned back around to face the back of the one hand Gaiser, its left hand clenching its left shoulder mounted 420mm bazooka, the massive barrel already beginning to elevated into a firing position.There was no time to hesitate.As the massive barrel elevated slightly the Gizen (r) dove down head first, thruster binders and leg mounted thrusters guiding the Gizen (r) with pin-point accuracy as the recticle tracked and fail to locked on the Marauder as it close in at full throttle, the right hand withdraw the Seraph heat blade and the left the heat sword.

Kailyn fired the 40mm head vulcan cannons nonetheless, feeling the chatter as the tracers left the rotary cannon in the head down to the twin sticks.The twin lines snaked across the ground kicking up a cloud of dust as the tracers connected on the side armor of the Marauder, then bounce off as its thick armor deflected them harmlessly into the air or into the remaining hangers metal sheet.But it did exactly as he had hoped, distracted the Marauder.With amazing speed the Marauder mono-eye turret turn the main camera to stare at the Gizen (r) and its massive 420mm bazooka barrel followed.

The Marauder pilot no doubt saw an easy killed and was congradulating himself on a perfect shot, with scant chance of a miss as the Gizzen (r) came blazing in on him in mid-air, which made Kailyn that much angrier even as the threat receivers blasted off in his helmet speakers, Kailyn's minds eye watched on the main screen picture as the Marauder's 420mm bazooka rear puff smoke and release a shell out of its mammoth barrel with which to end his life once and for all.

Kailyns' mind's eye watched as the 420mm shell broke free from the barrel in slow motion, even as his hands prepared in anticipation and as the shell came blazing straight for him.He snarl his hate and veered the mobile suit to its side a split second before the shell could touch the armor skin of the Gizen (r), by reducing power to the left thruster binder for two seconds, while incresing power to the right; a move that could have easily left him tumbling head first into the ground, with the slightest mistake, but yet evading the sudden death shot by a meter.The Gizen (r) left thruster regain its full thruster power, just in time to watch the shell continued pass and Kailyn dove head first, Seraph heat blade swinging.The Marauder skidded back managing to parry the right hand Seraph blade with its heat sword, but Kailyn followed through with the left hand equiped heat sword.The super heated sword, effortlessly pass through the Marauder's torso armor.Kailyn reduce thruster power as the Gizen (r) slidded pass to skidded across the asphalt, creating a dozen meter long spark behind it and he watched on his secondary monitors as both halfs of the Marauder collapse into a fireball and scraps of metal.

He wasn't done yet, the mono-eye turn to the last Marauder still giving the two Graves a hard time in melee combat.Teetering on the brink of a mind splitting head ache that made him wanteto scream in agony, Kailyn's mind eyes watches in fascination and horror as his mind soars over Kimera, the planet once called his home, now a dark, hostile world of endless ice, cloaked beneath a choking atmospheric blanket of radioative dust and he snapped.

The Gizen (r) glided across the terrain towards the Marauder like a specter stalking its victim, kicking up a cloud of dust from its thrusters wing binders as his mind locked on the single mobile suit, its pilot demonstrating an above average skill that interest him.

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Team Requiem was dead, Lieutenant Dale knew it by heart.How was it was possible, was beyond his comprehension.All he knew was that somehow he was now alone, engage in a very dangerous battle against two unknown types of mobile suits for his life, and the simplest mistake could very well be his last.He slash at the unknown suit with a Gyriq right hand, then parry a slash by the second suit, then followed up with a stab, managing to hit nothing but open air as the MS leapt back.These two MS were good at dodging his attacks, even better at team-work, and he was well aware his body had reach its limit and was screaming for a break, his breathing was already coming in gasp.

These MS were better than he had thought they would be, at least in par with the Lupus X, that much was certain.With a grunt of frustration Dale cut at the unknown suit with the Gyriq armed, determining this was the weaker pilot.It stepped out of range of his heat sword and suddenly a high speed object caught his attention and Dale turn his mono-eye for a second to get a look.A Gizen (r) came blazing in on him at high speed, right hand heat blade glowing white hot, and slash upward.He barely manage to deflected the slash, while the left hand came around holding a heat sword followed up with side slash, taking his left arm off by the wrist assembly.Dale skidded backwards, his mind racing to determine how the Kalaroians had gotten ahold one of the most advance new mobile suits, even as his proximity alarm continously blared into his helmet speakers as one of the unknown type of MS closed in from behind him, red hot heat sword arcing for a downward slash from his right shoulder armor down, with better than overage reflexes Dale side-stepped the slash and followed up with a slash upward.The Grave pilot must have notice his mistake and corrected himself, saving his torso, but Dale followed through, taking the left arm off completely and he skidded back, leaving a sure kill for space and time to think.He was out number.

" _**This battles over,"**_ a voice said over the open communication network.

The two unknown mobile suit stopped, and Dale was thankful for that even as the one with the Gyriq right hand slidded next its comrad, its heat sword up, but its blade was a different shade, its was losing its heat.Dale figure he had a few minutes before his own heat sword would need to recharge.But his mind glance back, the Gizen (r) was now side by side with the rabbit antenna looking suit.Dale open a broad spectrum channel and spoke."_** Identify yourself**_."

" _**Take a look around you Elite.Your friends are all dead, all of them.Including those aboard the El Nino, even that Lupus X pilot, some captain Ohal, or so he said**_." The Gizen ( r) took a single step forward, both heat weapons dropped to its side.

Dale eyes nearly popped out of the socket.'_ How..impossible_.They couldn't have.Even as he stared around the area that was once Fort Nirka, secondary explosions erupted in the background.Mostly from burning ammo supplies cooking off and for the first time, he confirmed visually what he had suspected mentally.Three Marauders lay burning, without the possiblity of there being survivors and four times as many Lupuses."_**I won't surrender.I won't be taken prisoner**_."

" _**What ever.I don't have time for this.Just get out of here before I change my mind and kill you myself**_."

Dale wasn't sure it was a trip, but he swore inside his helmet as he turn around to face northeast, the Gizen (r) moveds slightly, blocking his path northeast.Was the El Nino destroyed, like the pilot indicated.Not at all sure, he turned his Marauder southwest, away from the Gizen (r) his thrusters catapulting him skywards in that direction towards Mateuss base.Initial report from that area had indicated the battle had been going in favor of the marine and airborne troops, he would find help and come back here with a vengence.

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Athan swore inwardly as he watched the Marauder escape, landing several hundred meters away and another power jumped catapult it safely away and out of reach.Athan stopped to glare at the Gizen (r) on his main camera picture, it was nearly black now, with large dents and pits over its body, but it was definitely the same MS from the Latana plainss and probably the same pilot." What's your fucking problem, we could have killed him. Are we sure we're on the same side."" Athan swore, he had been rob of the greatest killed in his life, a golden opportunity stolen.Taking out a Marauder piloted by an Elite would make him a star in the eyes of the LFA.

" Which side would that be exactly," came the cold reply.The Gizen (r) took a step towards his Grave, both hands holding white hot heat swords at his side and Athan's Grave took a step back at his command.He had no desire to tangle with the Gizen (r) even with dozen of pits and dents across its torso, it was still a MS to be taken as serious as a Marauder piloted by an elite, if not more." Don't test me LFA, cause you won't like the results."

The one arm Gaiser impose itself between the two suits." Stop this childish crap.Kailyn you better have a good explanation as to why you let that pilot escape.He could come back with reinforcements."

The pilot named Kailyn inside the Gizen (r) stepped back and relatched the heat swords." I don't have to explain myself to you or anyone else.Take a good look around you Tabaro, Fort Nirka's finish, so is Mateuss, VeiNor base.Even Zavian city is crawling with Guild mobile suits.In a few minutes this whole area will be crawling with Lupus Ds and Lupus Gs.As for leaving that pilot alive, he was alot more skill than his commanding officer.I'd like to fight him one day, when he's not so flustered. Beside just maybe seeing a one armed Marauder piloted by a member of the elite syber force will stop the Guild units on thier way and stop the in their track and give us time to get out of here."

Tabaro's voiced dropped a notch."What are we going to do.There's no way we would survive another battle and escape with what, there's no transport here or anywhere."

The Gizen (r) external speakers boomed." **Listen up all Kalaroian soldiers.I'm going to say this once.In ten to fifteen minutes another wave of Guild mobile suit force will be assaulting Fort Nirka.You can either stay here, fight it out and die.That's your first choice.Your second choice is to leave Kalaro isles before the Guild mobile suit force arrives.For those of you that choose to leave rather tha fight a losing battle, head fifteen kilometers north of Fauna hill, near the Canis canal.There's a transport there waiting, I'll go ahead and guard it.Do what you have to do here and do it quick."**

Without another word, the Gizen (r) walked over to the Gaiser, placed a hand on its shoulder for a minute and then kicked on its thrusters taking it skyward, its backpack and wing binders flashing as it turn and flew away on a northeastern heading.

The Gaiser stepped forwards, its external speakers booming." **For those of you willing to leave Fort Nirka before the Guild arrives, gather the injured.They have high priority and move out as soon as possible.For those of you that will not leave, get away from Fort Nirka as fast as you can and do not become a prisoner of the Guild. Athan and Vicati, if you will please keep a look-out, while I take a few men and began gathering a few supplies that we cannot afford to leave behind.This will only take a few minutes."**

Athan watched the few surviving Kalaroians soldiers who had stopped what they were doing to listen to the Gaiser, with renewed energy rush here and there, there was less than he thought there would be and he turned to Vicati and only then did it dawn on him Varl's Grave was nowhere in sight.His Grave's mono-eye snapped around." Where's Varl."

Vicati's Grave, mono-eye turret shifted left, scanning." He's dead."

Deep down he already knew that, hearing the words themselves only made it his heart ache alot more."Keep a look-out.We'll be out of here in no time."

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_**Lucan**_

Colonel Tunados Brium looked at the monitor attach to the desk intensively.Behind him hunching over inside the Vosgove were Major Serena Alcova and Captain Rilius Revfrem. CO of 13th Motor-Rifle Company.The small confine space of the Vosgoves offered very little room to stand fully and even less room to move about at will.Even as he watched for the eleventh time as the Arvus class landbattleships mains gun belched fire and smoke and then a Lupus D guncamera switched on the collection of mobile suits and Thrankas, that vanish moments later inside a fireball of smoke and dust, he was still not believeing what he was seeing with his own eyes.

His mind began to aimlesly wondered if he had played into the enemies carefully laid out plan.Word from Opan AFB was that his remaining forces at Unterrem had been defeated by a battalion of tanks, and were force out, additional enemy units were detected crossing the border from Deikumia and heading towards Unterrem city and that information was already fifteen minutes old.If he calculated the units at Unterrem and at Sofavis base, he figure the enemy had at least two very strong, well equiped battalion, along with an Arvus class battleship.A force of that magnitude had to be well funded.Of course he was still alive and had a compliment of thirty-two MSs, fifteen Thrankas and five Vosgoves.None of those matter at the moment, his most important assets was locked inside a safe in his private office in Unterrem city; years of back-door dealings, blackmailings, bribery and pay-offs.Brium mentally estimated he had over 30 Million in hard currency and precious gems stashed away inside his safe; far more had already been sent to his family in Guild over the years.Enough to keep their status as top class elite citizens for the next decade and then some.He figure Major Alcova had half as much stash away in her own office as well; add that to the regiment's monthly pay-out.

_'Sonofabitch.There's at least two hundred million credits stash away in the Governor's House.Just enough to purchase five mobile suits and a load of supplies for a resistence_." Brium pressed paused on the touch screen, stopping on the Arvus class landbattleship as its main guns flash again.' _Forget Sofavis base for now_." Re-capturing the city of Unterrem is now our biggest priority.That battleship can wait."

" I agree sir.We have far to much valuable information at Unterrem for the enemy to find," Alcova was quick to add.

Revfrem looked at the Colonel and then the Major slowly, not believing what he was hearing."We can't just leave an operating battleship at Sofavis base to do as it pleases.We can destroy it here, today and then move onto Unterrem city and eridicate the enemy that is there as well."

Brium brush Revfrem off and swivel in the chair." Major, what other asset to we have in the region."

" There's a few displace motor-rifle companys here and there.But those can't move without express orders from the divisional commander or the third Terrestrial fleet commanding officer."

Brium swore, he was already in deep shit and had no wish to walk into a deeper puddle.He could request and receive troops from Opan AFB, but he'll be lucky enough to get anything larger than a battalion and that would not be enough." Send a formal request to the Admiral for the requisition of a regiment of troops.' Two battalions should be more than enough to end this battle permanently.'

" That will take time sir."

" Sir, I could borrow a motor-rifle company from Opan and return to Sofavis base in less than six hours.We had the enemy on the ropes, if it wasn't for that landbattleship...

" If that's what you want Captain, Major request two motor-rifle company from Opan.I'm sure the base commander will be more than willing to lend us that much of his assets, if only to get revenge for what happen to his Covera Ki pilots and his aircrafts." Brium turned to face Revfrem." Once the units arrives, you can move out.Bring me a piece of that battleship as a souvenir."

" Yes sir." Refvrem open the hatch behind him and exit, a minute later Brium heard a Thranka riding off.

" Leave one of our squad behind as an observational squad only,"Brium ordered." Have them move northeast to within sight of Sofavis and evaluate the Captain performances."

Major Alcova nodded." These guys are better armed and equiped than we thought. Their force structure is to well organized, not some second rate militia or resistance."

" My thoughts exactly, I think we're dealing with survivors from the war.There's been rumours circulating for years that an entire battalion escaped in to the Gia Heights region intact, but reports from that area is classified Defense Council eyes only," Brium slumped into his chair, his body was craving some coffee, cheery flavored.But there hadn't been enough time before they move out to get any.' Damn what the hell is going on around here and why now."

He press the play button on the monitor screen to watch the footage once again for the twelfth time.

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_**Kalaro Isles**_

The last operational jeep in Fort Nirka, began its slow trek on a dirt road heading west.The movement of the surviving base personal down away from Fort Nirka was unopposed, nor was there sign of the Guild units that should have arrived half an hour ago.That Gizen (r) pilot information that the Guild mobile suits would reach Fort Nirka in fifteen minutes was wrong, but that didnt mean they weren't coming, they just hadn't arrived in the time allotted.Vicati, finally fully armed with a pair of 76mm heavy machineguns staggered her Grave backwards and turn around to follow the column.Within minutes of moving off of Fort Nirka perimeter fence, she was able to concentrate again.The temperature had dropped four degrees in the last twenty minutes, but none of that mattered, they were finally moving and the simple fact that they were finally leaving this base that reeked of death and destruction was invigorating.By the time they had moved four kilometers, Vicati began to calm down.Her eyes were still constantly watching her monitors and sensors.That did not mean she had forgotten Varl's sacrifice.No, Vicati knew better than that.It only meant that for the moment the image and the sight of the burning Grave were relegated to the recesses of her mind where they lie dormant,Someday, Vicati knew they would be back.They would continue to hound her, until one day death end her suffering.

As the single file of vehicles, loaded with MS parts, ammo, the wounded and heavy weapons, snaked its way along the side of a hill, Vicati began to slow her Grave's forward movement.Giving them space.Suddenly a series of explosions coming from the direction of Fort Nirka caused Vicati to stop her MS and command it to turn around.From a high angle looking towards Fort Nirka, she could see that the Guild were laying a barrage in the area that was once Fort Nirka.Looking about, she noticed that several heads inside a few of the vehicles turned to look; but being lower than she was, they were unable to see what she was seeing.They, as she now did, realized how close that had been.Had they left ten minutes later, Vicati shudder to think what might have happen.

Sighing Vicati estimated that the Guild was laying an artillery barrage with missiles, 140mm cannon and 380mm bazooka rounds.Looking back once more at the cloud of dust and fire raising, Vicati shrugged and continued on.Some day, these soldiers will return home to take back what they had lost, as the LFA was doing.

The trail ended suddenly, nearly all of the vehicles had stopped and Vicati watched as one by one the injured were helped out of the vehicles and guided on foot through a trail. There was a boom overhead and Vicati angle her main camera upwards to see a flash, worried she tracked it with her 76mm heavy machinegun and watched the fireball raced downwards on tails of fire that crashed several kilometers northwest.' Was that a fighter or Lupos Stratus.Curious, she began to move forward on a trail of her own, bypassing the column.

Even before Vicati reached the head of the column, her Grave's mono-eye had locked on a large aircraft and it grew bigger with each step and until it was towering above her Grave.She had expected a large transport, but this was gigantic and armed.She walked to the rear and there a signal operator, carrying a pair of illuminating tubes of light, guided her to a docking station in the aircarfts right side, next to the Gaiser, Athan's Grave was across from her's in its own docking station, next to an intact looking Lupus X.The Gizen (r) was in a fifth docking station facing the hanger bay opening, its cockpit open, mono-eye dimmed and unactive.She felt more than heard the metal clamps locked on the shoulders of her Grave from above and legs below.Satisfied she exit the cockpit, but kept the mobile suit on standby.

Someone was rushing a fuel hose to her Grave when she hit the hanger floor and only then realized how large the hanger bay was.It had to be 20 meters high.Another guy rush up to her, grease on his shirt and a black smudge on his left cheek." Ma'am, I'm Specialist Sing and him over there is Specialist Ganan, were assign to keep your mobile suit in tip top shape, we'll have her refuel and rearm in twenty minutes or less. Is there anything you need us to equip right away."

Vicati eyes traced along the hanger bay walls, where robotic arms rested and stopped on two TMR-B-46/J 420mm pare to her ZT-BZ/32C 310mm bazooka, this Guild bazooka was far deadlier, but lacked accuracy and had an average reload time." I want one of those.They carry ten rounds I believe."

Sing followed her finger." They do, we'll have it down in a minute."

Vicati nodded her thanks, they were already treating this aircraft as if it was home.She turned around and walked towards the Gizen (r), the pilot wasn't in sight, she looked around the hanger carefully.A dozen or so injured were being laid to chairs attach to the side of the aircraft and strapped in, while soldiers wearing green or white shirts moved rapidly in and out of the hanger bay.Vicati walked briskly towards the fifth docking station where two specialist technicians were conversing near the Gizen (r) as she approached.

" The shield will be here any minute with that second Seraph heat blade.For the time being just refuel her to ninety-five percent of the tanks full capacity and load the head vulcan cannons.Eject the partially used clip from the Juri and load a fresh one, then run a full stress check on all the Gizen (r) systems while we can.But make sure she's ready to move out in five minutes or less if need be."

" Were's the pilot," Vicati asked.

The Specialist turned to face her, traces of blood on his left ear and his green shirt collar." Kailyn, he was just here a minute ago.Check the cockpit up ahead, thats where he was heading, I think."

Vicati nodded and followed a metal spiral staircase upwards and into the aircraft main body.Following the signs on the wall, she stopped at the cabin door, breathed slowly, calming her sudden racing heart beat and the she enter the cockpit.Athan was seated at the captain's chair, looking over a chair mounted monitor, Tabaro was to the front left leaning over the shoulder of a crewman, looked like the pilot and another crewman was staring into what looked like a radar monitor, with a young female at the communications stations next to him.There was no sign of the Gizen (r) pilot._Damn, where is he_.'" Can this thing actually fly."

Tabaro head turned back as far as it would go, without his body following and stared at her." Yes, we're doing a quick pre-flight check now. We should be ready to launch in twenty minutes." Tabaro tilted his head across to the right." Keep your eye peel on those sensors, that Ra Lasper could have gotten a call off. You so much as see a single blip, I want to know about it."

Athan turn to stare at her." Unbelievable, that Gizen (r) pilot captured this nearly intact, alone might I add." Athan leaned away from the monitor, offering her a room to stare at the screen." Take a look at the design of this thing.Its no Vule thats for sure."

Curious, Vicati leaned over Athan's lap slightly, barely noticing her red-hair brushing against his chin as her eye remained locked on the diagram of the Miska Class atmospheric attack carrier.From an overhead stand-point, the aircraft looked like a triangle; an all V- wing design she's never seen before.Overall length-138.3 meters; wingspan- 156.2 meters; overall height -68.5 meters; full weight-665 tons.The El Nino hanger bay divided the main section of the aircraft in half.Located directly above the hanger, assessable via the central docking station; that was also an elevator attach to the central body, is an upper central compartment.Aft of this central compartment is the engine room, the aircrafts three minovsky ultracompact fusion reactors, and six thermonuclear jet engine plants; capable of pushing the aircraft at top speed of 565 mph or a cruising speed of 527 mph inside a chamber.

The space forward of the hanger bay is divided into two main decks--the aircraft's head-which compromises the aircraft's control/attack center.Lower deck aft houses the armory, storage, and main hanger bay, while the upper deck forward contains the crews quarters, medical lad, and gallery, as well as a small spiral staircase leading to the bridge.The remaining section of the aircraft--the enormous wings--houses a labyrinth of coolant tanks and its liquid hydrogen fuel source, as well as four thrust vectoring thermonuclear jet engines for vertical lift off and landing.Within the forward sections of each wing, accessible by way of a steel catwalk, are the two six tube multi-purpose missile launchers and armory.

Vicati heart leapt." So this could carry us all the way to Lucan."

Athan face narrowed, and slowly he smiled as if the thought hadn't cross his mind." Pretty much, can you imagine the look on the others face when we arrive onboard a Guild elite syber force Miska-class atmospheric carrier, this has to be the biggest catch in the LFA history."

Tabaro head tilted back." Where not going to Lucan, we're going to Mokis island."

Athan puffed, his eyes narrowing, not liking what he was hearing." Mokis island, never heard of it."

Tabaro shrugged as the monitor next to Athan switched to a young male with dark hair and cold amber eyes, Vicati stared at him transfixed." Its a Kalaroian outter island three hundred klicks to the southeast.The Seventh Mechanized Light-Infantry battalion is station there, its a small garrison force.But they need to be appraised of the situation at Kalaro Isles."

"What makes you think, the Guild's not already there.You could be running straight into a trap.We should just get as far away from here as fast as we can." Athan said, his breathing coming in slowly.

The speaker on the monitor spark to life." If you don't want to go, we'll be more than happy to leave you here."

Athan gasped as he turned to the monitor, shocked." Who the fuck are you."

" The question is.Who the fuck are to tell us to run away and leave fellow Kalaroian soldier at the mercy of the Guild."

Vicati knew immediately, this was the Gizen (r) pilot.He was definitely younger than she had expected, at least within her age range that's for sure.She also noticed something else, the mood in the cockpit had change suddenly, all eyes were fixated on Athan and there was a hidden loathing she could not described immediately.These guys had just lost numerous friends, their base and home.Running away was not a term she would have used. Athan was walking on thin ice and she knew it.

" I never said that," Athan stammered.

" We should just get as far away from here as we can. Those were your words. So enlighten me on what exactly did you mean by those words." the pilot's eyes narrowed to a death giving glare, that made Vicati very uncomfortable.

Athan reply was a mumble of sorts as he dropped his gazed.

" I thought so.Tabaro ETA on lift off." the pilot asked.

Tabaro walked over to the monitor, forcing her to move out of the way, but still able to see the monitor over his right shoulder." We're doing pre-flight checks while the reactors warming upk Kailyn, fifteen minutes, twenty tops."

Kailyn eyes shifted elsewhere and closed slowly." To much time, if that Ra Lasper pilot didn't get a call off, someone's going to investigate this area and try to find out what happen to him one way or another.Plus when those engine ignites, not even minovsky particles can hide that much heat."

" I've been thinking the exact same thing, what do we do." Tabaro asked.

" First get that chicken shit out of that captains chair, I don't want to see him sitting there again.If he wasn't LFA I'd leave his punk ass here.Second get this bird airborne as soon as you can.As for me, I'm heading back to Fort Nirka, I'll keep the Guild occupied for a time and link up with you halfway between here and Mokis island.

Vicati looked at Tabaro and then Kailyn." You can't be serious, there's has to be a dozen mobile suits there or more.You can't fight them all.I'm coming along."

Kailyn blinked in surprise." Who the...oh...you must be flat butt.I don't plan on fighting them all, just have them concentrate me."

There was a chuckle somewhere to her left, but Vicati was seeing red as a recent memory slips pass her mind's eye.She quickly shakes it loose, refocusing on the Gizen (r) pilot with palable hater.'_ When I get my hands on you, you'd better pray real hard asshole_.'

Tabaro asked." Kailyn, that could be dangerous.There's no telling what you'll be up against."

Kailyn nodded."Just get out of here and don't look back.I can reach Mokis on my own if need be."The monitor suddenly went black, before another word could be said.

Vicati watched as Tabaro swore silently." He's crazy, but there's no telling him that.Beside he's right if he can keep the Guild focus on him, we can slip away unnotice."

" Who the heck was that," Athan asked.

Tabaro stared back at the pilot at the controls of the El Nino." Second Lieutenant Kailyn Starken, pilot of the Gizen (r).Take it from me Athan, you do not want him to catch you seated there."

Vicati turned to the cockpit exit." I'll go back to my Grave and remain on stand-by until where safely on our way."

Athan quickly popped out of the Captains chair." Me to, I'll feel alot safer if I'm in my Grave."

Tabaro merely nodded as he took the captain seat, as both LFA pilots headed for door leading to the hanger." Began minovsky particle dispersion around the El Nino."

l

_**Onboard the Buchus**_

Colonel Orsini felt as if he was losing his mind, even as he felt his legs grow tired.He moved constantly from one end of the Admirals bridge to the next, watching the status report of the operations going on at Kalaro isles come in slowly and in small pieces.So far Mateuss base and Zavian city had fallen, under the might of the Buchus battle group, there were small pockets of resistence at VeiNor base and those were being dealt with.But information about Fort Nirka was coming in slow if at all.He knew he had taken a gamble by ordering Team Requiem to Kalaro isles, but as a syber elite unit, they should have successfully captured Fort Nirka and one ofthoe mobile suits by now, so why wasn't he hearing information on the success at Fort Nirka already, he turned as a shadow moved next to him and he spotted Lieutenant Gily.

Lieutenant Gily whispered into his left ear." I've manage to get Lieutenant Dale on the communication monitor feed from Mateuss base."

" Mateuss base, why is he at Mateuss," Orsini asked confused, taking a brisk step to the communication monitor, Orsini shooed away a communication operator and slumped on the seat as Gily patched in the feed and flipping the switch for communication screen." Lieutenant Dale, whats the SitRep."

The dark man lowered his gazed on the screen before answering, but Orsini could already see the eyes of a defeated man." We failed sir. I'm the only member of my team's that's left.The entire landing force was wipe out at Fort Nirka."

Orsini eyebrow quirked and his mouth open and shut, behind him Gily gasped." Explain yourself Lieutenant.What do you mean your team was wipe out at Fort Nirka."

" Lack of proper intelligence sir, someone should have properly recon this area before we were ordered in.We came upon those new suits that we were ordered to captured, their tough as hell.Way better than our Lupus X, I'm kidding you not, sir. Then another unknown suit popped up, looked like Gyriq and those new model mixed, but with better performance.I'm talking higher acceleration, better armor and power, the pilot sucked no lie, but that suit made up for his mistakes with sheer speed and reaction time.But me and Lieutenant Gonz had them ready to give up, we had them sir.Then a black Gizen (r) of all things showed up, took out two Marauders and couple of Lupus Ds in a matter of minutes.Lieutenant Gonz fought against it, but it took him out just the same.Could have killed me to if that pilot had wanted to." Dale reported flustered

Orsini and Gily shared a look of disdained shock that could not be hidden."A Gizen (r). Are you sure it was a Gizen (r).

" Yes, sir.Have the gun camera footage here myself.That pilot wasn't like the other's, he was good, better than average.Took off one of my Marauder's arm without even trying and then told me that's he'd killed Captain Ohal and the crew of the El Nino. I wouldn't have believe him sir, but he mention a Lupus X and Captain Ohal and the El Nino by name, said he killed em all.No shitting you, sir.' Lieutenant Dale was on the verge of tears." This operation wasn't suppose to end this way, sir."

Gily turned to stare at Orsini and whispered." Could it have flown from the Latana plains directly to Kalaro isles."

" It could, even with half a load of fuel, Kalaro's wthin its flight range.But why go to Kalaro isles and what's this about another new model," Orsini asked.

" Sir." Dale asked confused.

" Nothing Lieutenant, can you confirm whether or not the pilot was male or female."

" Definitely male, sir. Young male,sir. Can you hold on a second sir." Dale said, he stepped away from the monitor and Orsini leaned over slightly, and Dale appeared a few minutes later." Reports coming in from a marine unit that was sent to Fort Nirka, their reporting no enemy activity in the area.They're saying there's nothing there.I left four operational mobile suits and who knows what else out there and there wasn't a transport in sight for them to get off this rock."

Orsini eyes narrowed and he asked slowly." You said the pilot initiated contacted with you, can you give me a mental profile of the pilot."

Dale shook his head and looked up away from the monitor." No, sir.The way he talked, it was just short and to the point.Not a trace of over confidence in his voice.Hold sir, somethings happening at Fort Nirka." Dale vanish off the screen suddenly.

" So it came to Kalaro Isles and those unknown mobile suits just happen to go there as well.And they just happen to gather at Fort Nirka, where another new model was hiding," Orsini swore.

" Not to mention taking out an entire elite syber force team," Gily added, stepping on te side Orsini." We know the pilot who has the Gizen (r) is good.But still its not an easy feat to take out an entire ESF team, just what are we dealing with sir."

" I don't know Lieutenant, but I aim to find out," Orsini said.

Dale suddenly popped back on the monitor screen, his facial expression change."Something is happening at Fort Nirka, the marine squads there are under attack by an enemy mobile suit.From the sounds of it, sounds like the Gizen(r).Their calling in for some air-support, I have to go sir."

Orsini slumped into the chair as the monitor went black and only then did he noticed Aldeno shadow behind him." Can I help you General."

" Wanted the first to congratulate you on a mission well done at Fort Nirka, I assume you'll be leaving with them," Aldeno said smiling, but there was no warmth behind it, it was akin to a predator's smirked of success.

Orsini rosed to his feet and turn to face Aldeno, the General was easily three inches taller." I'll leave only when my mission here is complete." Orsini stopped as his mind replayed what Aldeno had said.I assume you'll be leaving with them." What do you mean leave with them."

" One of our Recon birds tracked your atmospheric carrier lifting of moments ago.That could only mean your mission here is completed, does it not."

Orsini shared a worried glanced with Gily as Aldeno stalked back to El Virion's side." If the crews suppose to be dead, who's piloting the El Nino."

Gily shook his head." Sonofabitch, Lieutenant Dale said the pilot initiated contact and informed him that he had killed off the crew.I'm betting Dale never went to confirmed if that was tru."

Orsini swallowed a lump in his throat." Impossibe, they couldn't have captured the El Nino intact.The crew would have destroyed the most valuable instruments onboard before that could happen.There has to be another explanation."

Gily leaned forward and spoke slowly." Sir, we just lost an entire elite syber force team.That was impossible until today, stealing the El Nino would be a possibility."

Orsini stared into Gily's face, mentally refusing to accept what his mind concluded most be." Get me off this carrier, I want to go to Kalaro Isles myself and see what's going on.Gily, not a word of what just happen, not until we've confirmed that the El Nino has indeed been hijacked by enemy forces.If is tru, we'll have to determine its course and hopefully intercept them."

Gily nodded and headed for the hatch.

_This LFA unit are beyond lucky.Each time we have them cornered, they react to our actions by counter-reacting and adjusting.Its unconceivable they could hold out this long.But I'll get them, if its the last thing I do.'_

l

_**Fort Nirka**_

76mm lead, tracers, 140mm shells and missiles lit up the sky as they tracked in on the Gizen (r).The 40mm head vulcan cannons fired at his command with accuracy, raking the two Empus missiles with a wall of tracers less than one hundred meter below, the twin explosion covered his field of vision for moment in a smoke cloud as he flew through it.Ignoring the tracers whipping pass at the speed of sound, Kailyn veered left and then down firing a 76mm heavy machinegun.Two three round burst--the first three raking the ground, sending dust and dirt skyward, the second sending sparks and smoke flying from the Lupus Ds mono-eye main camera.A third burst followed immediately, drilling three near prefect vertical holes on a line on the upper torso.

Diving side ways, Kailyn barely avoids the three burst of 76mm heavy machinegun rounds of two Lupus Gs, which lash out towards him, hitting nothing but air.Kailyn shifted his 76mm heavy machinegun and let the final three rounds leave its barrel, the tracers smacking into the torso of a Lupus G and sending the mobile suit collasping to the ground backwards, buying him time to survey the area.There had been nine Lupus Gs and five Lupus Ds when he had arrived, now there was seven Lupus Gs and one Lupus D.

The Gizen (r) skidded up right across a few feet above the ground and then straight up at full throttle as tracers whipped across his monitor in a line.One Lupus G kicked on its backback thrusters to give chase, forcing its comrads to hold fire as he cut into their line of fire.Kailyn release the 76mm heavy machingun in mid-air, clicked the general enable switched and dove straight back down, while depressing the head vulcan cannons.The tracers raked down on Lupus Gs, the pilot fired a burst upwards and it began to descend, Kailyn much faster run the Lupus G suit through with the Seraph heat blade and climbed back up and out of range of the tracers, even as both halves of the Lupus G exploded moments before touching the ground behind him, creating a cloud of thick gray smoke and dust.

Circling around what was left of Fort Nirka from two thousand feet, Kailyn waited, watched and tracked targets, even as tracers whipped behind the Gizen (r), its movements to fast and distance to long, for a accurate lock and fire.On his second full circle, he stopped and hovered over Fort Nirka, his heavy panting began to slowed as he catch his breath.''If I know the Guild, air support shouldn't be that far away by now .As if on cue, an alarm sounded inside his helmets speakers, and Kailyn checked the sensors." Three heat source confirmed.Two Lupos Stratus and one Lupus Commander Type.

Kailyn gripped the control even tighter and spin the mobile suit until he was facing south, he increase power and the thrusters fired, taking him on a steep angle southward.Kailyn checked his sensors, and watched the three mobile suits turn to pursue.' Keep following if you dare.'

The trees raced up to meet the Gizen (r), getting closer with each passing second.Kailyn watched the altimeter spin down to a few hundred feet.Just as his altimeter dropped below 80m, he sudddenly reduce its main thrusters and fired a series of smaller, maneuvering burst from the wing binders, until he was level and continueing directly ahead.The main thrusteres kicked back on, this time at a lower setting and more controlled output, that the three mobile suits chasing him could keep up with and mobile suit began zipping its way through the air, dodging higher tree tops.Kailyn kept a secondary camera locked on his flight path, but kept most of the main camera locked on the Guild mobile suits, watching the radar screen as the blips close-in rapidly.

Kailyn calculated in few moments, the Lupus Stratus and Lupus Commander Type, would be within firing range soon; but they were already in range of his missiles and he theirs.They did't have missile or else they would have used them already, but he did.Flipping a switch the Gizen ( r) right hand reached for the 60mm assault rifle and brought it online, and turned the mobile suit on its back.The green octagon shape recticle bounce over the screen and settle over the right Lupos Stratus and turned red, the Lupos Commander type, fired a burst well outside its lock-on range, missing the Gizen (r) wide left and Kailyn return fire with a much deadlier weapon with an accuracy over a longer distance.

The 60mm API rounds cut the distance rapidly, Kailyn watched the liness of tracers smacked into the Lupos Stratus, none missed.The mobile suit blew smoke and veered off on a crash course.It exploded before ever touching the ground.'Tabaro wass right, this Juri is something alright.'

The two remaining mobile suits split further apart and open fired well outside of range.The two mobile suits were showing no mercy as they fired streams of tracers from their 76mm heavy machines.Kailyn veered left and then right, then up and then down, in a random pattern.Several tracers raked the Gizen (r) left frontal shoulder armor, stripping away armor plating, he felt the impact inside the cockpit, but a majority of them missed and slammed into the ground ahead, kicking up a cloud of dust.Kailyn began weaving, while returning fire and dodging tracers.The Lupos Commander Type, no doubt the team leader was definitely moving far expertly and pushing his Lupos Commander Type to its limit.Kailyn ponderred if it was the same Lupos Commander Type from BolZie harbour this morning.The Lupus Stratus was less impressive, but still trying to be careful, but Kailyn had already manage to hit it a few times with the 60mm Juri's rounds, one lucky round had disable its left arm.

They were approaching the ocean, the clear endless blue of the LaGrange Ocean rush beneath them._'Time to end this and find that aircarft'_.Switching to missiles, Kailyn fired off of his four AS-11s, two at each mobile suits and watched the missiles plowed head first into the Lupos Stratus left leg and torso, the mobile suit exploded into a fireball of metal fragments.The Lupos Commander Type was far luckier.Only one of the missiles manage to sever its right armed, along with its 40mm gatling gun and it dipped, almost out of control.But the pilot regain control meters from the water, wisps of smoke around its left.It change course suddenly and its thrusters kicked on, catapulting it up and away, back towards Kalaro's isles.

Kailyn contemplated giving chase for a few moments and end the fight permanently, but decided against it.His mission was complete, the El Nino had to be long gone out of Kalaro isles by now.His eyes scanned the surrounding area; his sensors would never picked up a fighter until the missiles were already on their way, it was time to move on, he change course on southeast heading.He found what he was looking for fifteen minutes later, further ahead of him.The El Nino hovering in the distance, almost like a floating black diamond and he blazed in at a slower speed, angling for the hanger bay.The hanger bay open, beckoning him to enter.

Tabaro's face popped on his communication screen, grinning from ear to ear." Your five minutes late.Now get in here, so we can be on our way."

Kailyn pulls back on the twin sticks, guiding the Gizen (r) up slowly and into the hanger bay opening and gripped onto a large guard rail as the Gizen (r) settle down.He watched the hanger bay doors slided down behind him, a second before moving to the central docking stations, his heart pounding with adrenaline. The shoulder clamps attach to the right should and left leg secured his mobile suit in place and he scanned below him.Only a few Kalaroian soldiers were about, most were seated, while others held tightly against anything to brace themselves.Their eyes were in a far away gazed, a few nodded and smile, the rest were in there own world inside their own head. None of it suprise him, these soldiers had scene a battlefield first hand and had survive it, those memories weren't going anywhere anytime soon.Kailyn shrugged, for him such emotional flaws was non-existent.But that didn't mean at one time he hadn't felt what they were now feeling, he'd seen that same look on many of his countrymen face years ago.At the time he had no idea what it all meant.

These guys had loss an island nation, he had standby as a helpless kid and watched his people lost an entire star system as well as over two billion lives.At least one day these soldiers could return to Kalaro isles.He could never return home, there was nothing for him to return to.

'_ I've been on this world to long_.' Kailyn never knew when he fell asleep, only that for now he could rest in peace.Even if was for a little while.

l

Mobile Suits and Aircraft Stats:

Version ( Model number): ERS-06B

Code name: Grave

Manufacturer: Galaga Heavy Industries

Operator: Lucan Freedom Alliance

Crew: Pilot only, panoramic monitor/ Linear seat cockpit in torso

Height: Head height 15.3 meters; overall height 15.5 meters

Weight: Fully loaded 46.4 metric tons; empty 24 tons

Armor: Titanium alloy/ceramic composite

Powerplant: Type XMF-02 Minovsky ultracompact fusion reactor, output rated at 1720 kW

Propulsion: Rocket thrusters: 59730 kg

Performance:maximum thrust acceleration 1.28 G; 180-degree turn time 1.5 seconds

Equipments and design features: sensors, range 5000 meters

Fixed armaments: ZT-HS/34A Heat Rapier, stored on recharge rack on left/right waist armor

Optional fixed armaments: ZT-DHS/100 Heavy Shield, carried in either hand; ZT-G/38A Replica, mounted on shoulder hardpoints;ZT-M/36B 'Closer' three tube multi-purpose missile launcher, mounted on legs; ZT-C/37B 125mm cannon, clip-fed, 5 to 10 rounds per clip, mounted on right/left hip;ZT-BZ/32C 310mm Bazooka, mounted on shoulder hardpoints.

Optional hand armaments: ZT-MG/35F 100mm machinegun, clip-fed, 32 to 64 round clips, spare clips on slots right/left waist armor.Also capable of carrying mobile suit weapons of different designed and manufacture.


	14. Chapter 13

**Mobile Suit Gundam: Vanguard Blitz**

**Chapter 13**

**Versa Town**

The sunlight was beginning to fade, the shadows stretching west, but still there was plenty of light for the citizens of Versa town to be outside, but yet the streets were near empty.A very rare sight to behold.Guild soldiers in body armor and assault rifles hanged over their shoulders occupied a majority of the sidewalks, small shops crammed together between cramped decaying houses, over crowded with inhabitants.The stifling smell of dust, garbage and oil mingled with sweet aromas of cinnamon, baking bread, sweet coffee, and frying fish.

He walked as if he belonged, wearing a white t-shirt, with blue vertical stripes and khaki pants, as he hurried out from the nearby liquor store.The bulge in his lower back, should have been a cause for a body search.But it didn't, he turned around as he walked out, and shake the man hands; promising to pay him for the purchases before the week was out.He held his head high as he turn away and turn left, the dark, trimmed beard gaved him the facial look of a young man in his early thirties.His name was easily miss pronounced, foreign-sounding to any Guild or Deikumian.But all who knew him in Versa town, simply called him Krause or the drunk.But, those who knew him well, which was very few; he was formally referred to as Lieutenant Commander Shini Krause.

He made just one more stop, ten meters away at a dingy resturant called ' _**Olivera Quick Bites'**_.When he emerge fifteen minutes later, he was carrying a brown box with his named written on top in his right hand; and of course held in his left, his daily beverage.

Krause kept walking fast, sometimes straying off the sidewalk to avoid the Guild soldiers on patrol.He was thickset in build, no more than six foot one inch tall.He exit through the western entrance; not only because it was less guarded, but it was also where he had rested his wooden pole.Krause swing left, casting his eyes away from the searing dazzle of the descending sun, and press on eastward towards his home.

He begin walking slower after a mile away from Versa town, almost to a stop, while tucking his lunch box under his arm and staying four feet to the right side of the dirt road.The traffic had tripple in the past twenty-four hours with Guild humvees and vehicles going up and down, and unconsciously he quicken his pace again, feeling in the small of his back the handle of the long, serrated stiletto knife, his only companion in times of personal threat.Something had happen yesterday, and it had been big.Never in the time he had lived here had he seen so many Guild soldiers moving in and out of the Latana plains.The story on what had happen had increase ten folds, with a dozen different beginnings and twice as many endings, but they all said the same story.Someone had kicked Guild ass and run away, leaving the Guild pissed off.

Three miles from Versa, he stopped completely, standing still, apparently spotting his first real problem a hundred meters away.Krause had better than average eyesight, and he was good at remembering pictures, places in his mind and he knew that the camouflage Guild Army jeep hadn't been there an hour ago.This area was completely desolated of houses or people; which was one reason why he had chosen it for his home, its seclusion.There were two uniformed soldiers leaning against the vehicle and he contemplated taking the longer way home.But then again, they had to have seen him, it was to late to turn off the path and he didn't have any identification which they will no doubt ask to see.

He began walking forward with his wooden pole, tapping the grown every other step.He did not avert his gaze and continued walking, straight at the jeep, straight toward the soldiers, each of whom carried a MR-1 assault rifle, probably loaded with armor piercers.

He was almost pass when the senior man tilted his head and spoke, loudly, with authority.

" Hey, you Deikumian piece of shit."

Krause swored inwardly and kept going, moving past them.For a split second, he thought they would ignore him, but then the soldier spoke again.

" Where do you think your going in a hurry, you sack of shit.Now stop right there I say."

Krause obeyed the command of the Guild officer, turning slowly and saying softly."Yessir."

The officer was a man of around thirty-seven, tall and thick, with a hooked beak of a nose, blue eyes and full mouth arc into a growl.He did not look happy." Your papers."

" I don't have any on me sir," replied Krause slowly." I live just over there."

The officer looked in that direction, his tone becoming questioning." A Deikumian hermit.No shit.What's in the box and that bag your holding."

" My lunch and personal items, sir."

"Show me," the officer siad, moving forward and reaching his right hand out.

Krause hesitated for a moment, the second soldier, probably a private moved-in closer as well, Krause sigh and handed the box over, the officer took it and without checking its contents inside it, threw it away with a harsh grunt, the box landed a dozen feet away, its content spilling out.He then reach over and took the bag, glacing in." Alcohol, your drinking alcohol in this heat you piece of Deikumian shit," said the officer, taking one of the bottles and popping the top, with a smirk on his face, the officer tipped the bottle upside down to empty its contents and doing the one thing that would end his life.

Krause could handle being insulted, especially by a Guild soldier, he could handle physical abuse, even the lost of his lunch.But he could not handle watching his rum being thrown away as if it was nothing.That content was the only peace he had on this planet; after being exile here to die.That reddish liquid helped ease the pain of watching the sun rise and fall; the sky being blue twelve hours a day and sometimes even gray.The smell of rotten woods, wet grass, dirt, garbage, oil and rotten corpse of animals; this world was a green and blue hell.He needed to be where the air was sweet and recycled non-stop, and the sky was black and the darkness never end.

Krause turn away as the last of the liquid escape the bottle to splat on the ground in a muddy puddle, but he came back as fast as a striking serpent, jamming the flat end of his pole with colossal force into the small space between the officer's eyes above the bridge of his nose.All three men heard the bone of his forehead splinter, but it was the last sound the Guild officer would ever hear.Krause flipped the stick with a flare with his left hand and rammed the butt of his right hand upward into the great beaked nose, effectively ramming the bone into the man's brain.

The younger soldier; green as a fruit months away from season just stood there, his mouth open with total amazement, as this guy killed his commanding officer in two seconds flat.He fumble with his shoulder strap, reaching for the butt of his gun.But it was to late for that.Krause moved on him with inhuman speed with his knife, thrusting it between the ribs straight into the young man's heart.He was dead before he hit the ground.

Krause kicked the dead officer body once in anger and dragged the bodies under a bush, using the branches of another tree to hide the corpses and overing the bloody trail with dust.Then he drove the vehicle a mile off the road, stopped and exit.He then cut and slice eight long strips of material from the front seats, tied them together, and shove them into the gas tank.He pulled them out and jury-rigged strip, about twenty feet long, going back into the tank.He lit one gas soaked end and hurl himself towards his home, he made it 80 feet away before the jeep went up in a blast of flame and black smoke.He figured the jeep would be found within a matter of minutes, but the bodies could take hours if not days, but he didn't bet on it.

He reached home a few minutes later, the cloud of gray smoke still visible in the distance and headed for the kitchen.The food was cold, but there was plenty of it and to think he'd just purchase a platter of sliced bread with a touched of nectar, fried fish, steam steak and rice covered in gravy.He ate in silent cursing the planet, the colour blue, his luck and only wonder where his charge was as he was clearing the table.He hadn't seen young Kessaro all day, but then again when did he ever.

Ten minutes later, he left the house and entered the outlying barn.The place was fulled of scrap metal, some rusty and others not, but all useless junks piled high.He followed a familiar path, watching out for the razor sharp metal edges dipped in a deadly poison on a weekly basis, pass two hidden gun turrets that only activated if stepped on hidden sensors underground.Walking in short steps pass a minefield and booby traps of hand-grenades.He knew the path in his mind only, a perfectly laid out mental route.A simple mistake, a mis-step by more than an inch could very well end his life here and now.Krause kept moving, until he could make out a dark overpass at the back of the barn and there he saw the reason for his journey.

His personal mobile suit, unmoved and untried in almost a decade.The SGX-XS1040 Raptor Gundam was unlike any mobile suit found on the planet Genesis.The Raptor Gundam's body was a somewhat irregular mixtures of curves, slanted, hard and straight edges designed to deflected projectile weapons; including the particles of a low powered beam rifle.The body was covered with patterns of shaped panels lines where stealth composite material had been integrated on the surface of its reinforced gundarium/ tetra alloy armor.The body was primarily colored black, with occasional highlights of dark gray and blue parts.There were twelve universal hardpoints to mount external weapons or equipments located on the gundam; one on each forearms, one on each hip armor plate, one on each leg, one on each front skirt armor plate, and one each shoulder armor for a wide variety of optional equipment packs for any one specific mission profile.But at the moment it was unarmed except for a hip mounted beam saber.Like previous mobile suits given the named Gundam, the fixed square-shape main camera was in the forehead, with two secondary optical sensors and dozens of smaller sensors all over its body acting as subsensors, with the most noticeably attribute given to its V-shape antenna on the head.

Krause stared ahead in a fix gazed, not seeing his mobile suit and yet looking at it directly.He was fed up with this planet, this star system, the Guild and the Foundation, and their pathetic excuse for a war.These fools had no idea of the galactic war raging in space, where entire planets and space colonies were being destroyed.Cursing, he climbed the cold metal hide of the mobile suit and keyed open the hatch, feeling a whiff of stuffy warm air escaped as he climbed inside, closing the hatch behind him.

His amber eyes narrowed slowly, he kept his mobile suit on standby nonestop, the radio was beeping and Krause stared at it wondering if he was seeing things.Not once had he been contacted directly, he had always been the one to initiated contact and each time to request a transfer off of the planet surface and into space and each time his request had been flat out denied.He reached over and flipped the Receive switch." Krause here."

" **Nice of you to finally acknowledge my call Captain, I'v been trying to reach you for the pass three hours**." It was Aragon, one of Lieutenant-Commander Fencia Briton little cronies, Krause swored silently as his heart rate increase three folds, he so much wanted to strangle the little fuck.It was always Aragon informing him his request had been denied.

" What do you want you little shit."He reached over and depress the main switch for the main optical sensors, the place was an eerie green colour.

**" Your request to return to space has been approved.How soon can you be ready, Captain**," Aragon voice said it with a chuckle.

Krause stared at the blank communication monitor, hearing but not believing what he had just heard.How many years had he been waiting to hear those exact words."What's going on up there."

**" Nothing so far, Commander Deleuz and Briton left the star system to check-out something and commander Kessaro wants you and your Gundam up here ASAP, she'll stay down there for now**." replied Aragon.

" Why would she, where is she," Krause barked, his heart racing in anticipation, finally he can return to space." What do I do with her kid."

Aragon was quiet**." Do you even know where he is."**

Krause hesitated, truth be told, he had no idea where Kailyno was, nor had he ever cared to; up until this point.The kid had simply popped up one rainy night, requesting- no demanding a place to stay and had never given him a choice in the matter." Where he's always at, somewhere in Versa town chasing some skirt."

" **No you incompetant fuck, you really have no idea where young Kessaro's at.If you must know, he was in Kalaro's isles from yesterday and on his way to Mokis island at this very moment**," Aragon blew on the speakers, the sound making Aragon grimaced, although he out-rank Aragon, he knew better than to test Briton's anger by spit balling her pet.Briton was one of four people he could honestly say he actually feared." **If the Admiral or the Commander heard what you just said, you'd be grounded on that planet for life."**

_'Shit'_. Let's just keep this between us ok.I'll go get him right away." Krause said sweating, he had no desire to stay on this planet any longer.

"** I don't know Captain, you see these conversations are recorded in the ship's main core, to erase them it'll cost you**," Aragon said.' **And beside Commander Kessaro will handle him from here on out, but those records. tut tut**."

Krause stared at the eerie green main camera picture." _The little fuck is trying to blackmail me_.' What do you want."

"** I heard they have a mean berry pie, get m**-

" How much do you want," Krause barked quickly.If a few lousy pies will get him off this shithole of a planet, then pie he will get.

" **How many can you carry, there's a few of us listening to this conversation, might have to give them an excuse not to hear anything**"

" Do your thing and I'll give you all the pie you can eat, lots of different variety.Deal," Krause licked his lips, he could almost taste the airless environment.

**" Deal, rendezvous point hasn't change, when can we expect your arrival**."

" As soon as I get your damn pies and put my mobile suit in the transport."

"** Roger that, I expect my pies real soon. Aragon out."**

Krause sigh and slumped into his seat.Finally, just like that, in less than four hours, when the night was blacker than space, he would leave and never look back.For now, he had some preparation to complete.The SGX-XS1040 was capable of flying around the planet three times with its minovsky impulse drive main engines or entering the atmosphere using its own power and yet he could not use that power to escape this prison of green and blue forever without being ordered to. Finally, no more Genesis, space was his home and he intend to die in the dark abyss.

l

**Fort Nirka**

Colonel Orsini could finally leave the Buchus, thirty minutes later than he would have liked.He threw himself into the backseat of the multipurpose helicopter and grunted as Gily took the space across from him, a far away gaze on his face; there would be no fighter escort, there's losses had been to heavy; but more were being flown in with the 86th Airborne Division, not that they needed it.They flew directly to Fort Nirka, the helicopter circle twice at five hundred feet above the airbase where Orsini saw firsthand the result of their grand operation.

A number of fires were still burning, with only a handful of marines battling the flames.The hangers were a mass of twisted metal frames; they would have to be rebuilt immediately and that could take weeks, but the airstripes themselves where intact and those had been their promary goal, and he could see they were already guarded by a company of Lupus Gs.The helicopter landed, kicking up a cloud of dust. Lieutenant Dale came to greet his fellow elites, signalling them to follow him to an awaiting jeep.

Orsini climbed in front, with Gily and Dale in the back, no one spoke as the jeep sped off.They held on as the jeep races through the nearly empty base.The jeep takes them to the back of the marine company CP, where Orsini saw the burnt wreckages of a mobile suit similair to the one destroyed at the Latana plains, the same mobile suit he was ordered to discover as much about as possible and destroy, and here one was, far less damage than the one the engineers back home were studying non-stop to determine who had built it.

Dale hopped out the jeep almost the exact moment the breaks brought it to complete stop." Meet the ERS-06B Grave."

Orsini takes a deep breathe and he walks around the mobile suit." Its badly damage, but we can still learn alot from this one.Have it shipped to Revil immediately, let the engineers tear it apart bit by bit.What about the El Nino."

Dale shook his head and stared off in the distance." Gone.We found the bodies of the crew not to far away."

Gily stepped forward." Have you tried to make contact, determine where their heading."

" Tried and fail.They're not responding at all to our hails and last I checked they were heading southeast.If they continue on that heading, they'll hit one of three Kalaroian outter islands within the hour. Ordur, Cela or Mokis island to the southeast. I'm betting on Mokis." Dale answered.

Orsini began to feel an all to familiar burn in his stomach.He stands from his investigation of the Grave's shattered leg thruster; the size indicated an even larger thrust than their Lupus X." This is not happening, first they steal a Gizen (r) and now an atmospheric attack carrier and the LFAs some-how building their own mobile suits, which are equal to our newer Lupus X." Orsini turned to Lieutenant Dale." What makes you think they'll land at Mokis island, they could easily go to Lucan or even Kazan if they choose to."

Dale shook his head." Mokis has a military unit station there.Its a small garrison force, battalion size, but poorly equiped.Nothing a company of marines can't handle and its a Kalaroian island."

Orsini shooks his head." If they happen to join forces with that battalion, it'll take more than a marine company to take Mokis." Orsini turned to Gily." Tell Admiral Virion to launch a squadron of Ra Laspers equiped with anti-ship missiles with the express orders to destroy the El Nino.If he refuses to comply, informed him that he'll have to give his reasons to the Defense Minister or the Supreme Commander of the ESF himself."

Dale eyes narrowed and he watched silently as Gily bolted towards the CP and turn back to stare at Orsini." Your not going to try and re-capture it sir."

Orsini turned to face the dark man." Re-capture, those LFA units has been a thorn in our side for a very long time now.Do you have any idea how many lives they taken in the last two days alone, non expendable elite lives. Far to many already and don't forget the information aboard the El Nino."

Dale nodded, finally understanding a little of what was going on.His team wasn't the only elite to die engaging this unit." I understand, sir.But the El Nino is an atmospheric attack carrier by design.Heavily armored, well equiped with the most advance air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, and capable of climbing to an altitude exceeding ninety-five thousand feet.Ra Laspers maximum altitude is fifty-five thousand feet and if those guys are as good as they've proven, they'll pluck those fighters out of the skies without any trouble."

Orsini turn to face Dale, looking him directly in the eyes." What do you purpose we do, let them escape."

There was a crooked smile on Dale face as he leaned forward slightly arms clamped behind his back.Orsini listen carefully over the course of several intense minutes as Dale laid out his plan." We play our cards right, we'll capture the El Nino, the Gizen (r), those LFA mobile suits and kill off their pilots and anyone aboard with one fell swoop."

Orsini had to admit the planned sounded good, too good and it had the option of destroying them all in one little neat package.But what harm was their in trying, he had no desire to be chasing those LFA units any longer than he had to; not when Operation: Vanguard Blitz was only two weeks away.Gily came running back, and Orsini turn to face him." Dimissed that last order, keep those fighters on standby until further notice."

Gily skidded to stop, dust flaking on his khaki uniform pant, a surprise look on his face that slowly degenerated into confusion." Yes sir." Without a word, he turn and bolted back the way he had come.

" If your plan works Lieutenant, I'll put you up for a recommendation and a promotion."

" Yes sir. We'll know soon enough."

" Lets go make some calls," Orsini chuckle, turning towards the CP, Dale hot on his heels.

l

**Aboard the El Nino**

Three more soldiers died, mostly from exessive burns and internal injuries; dropping the total number of military personals that escape Kalaro isles to 78. Tabaro Wilisk heard the news on his way to one of two communal bathrooms, set between the crew's quarters that were in a dormitory-style layout; the third and fourth bathrooms were in the captains and XO quarters, he had already claimed the XO quarters for his own use, but it was much further ahead, Kailyn had the captains; it was his aircraft after all.The dead were place in body-bags and placed in the storage space in the hanger bay.

Heading back to the cockpit, he passed the closed door marked Messhall.The aroma of baked and fried goods caused Tabaro's stomach to growl, reminding him he hadn't eaten all day.He stopped in front of the door, the door sliding open as if pushed aside by invisble hands.The hunger force him inside.Most of the survivors were already inside, seated around three tables secured to the floor, sitting on the bare floor or standing on the far walls.None were talking, the place was quieter than a graveyard at night; only the sounds of heads turning and boots scrapping the floor to better look at who had just entered could be heard.Dirty plastic utensils and paper plates littered the tables and floor.The scent of fried beef sirloins, boiled vegetables and baked bread drifts out from the kitchen behind the counter.

Athan waves him over to an empty spot on the ground next to him, Vicati was no where in sight." So how long before we get to Mokis island."

Tabaro moved carefully as not to accidentely hit the injured, noticing the brown stains in several places and took a spot beside Athan, before answering." Another thirty minutes, we're going around and coming from the north.Try to throw the Guild off to our destination for as long as possible."

" I stilll say its a mistake to go to Mokis!" Athan shakes his head.

The room became even quieter; if that was possible as the everyone in the room listened in on the conversation." And go where, to Lucan, join up with the LFA. Aren't you suggesting that option because it benefits you and not us."

Athan shifts on his knees." The Guild will go to Mokis, this is an elite airship afterall.They'll go where ever you take her."

Tabaro smiled, he had had this same converstaion with Kailyn a few minutes ago.He knew it and Kailyn knew it.This ship was beyond invaluable and those elite will more than likely come after her, sooner rather than later, which was exactly what Kailyn was counting on and his plans was already in motion to deal with that eventuality." We've already contemplated that conclusion, but regardless we still have many injured onboard and Mokis is the closest Kalaroian island with a military base."

Two warrant officers now assign to kitchen duty wearing white aprons covering their uniforms entered from the kitchen, carrying steaming hot plates on large aluminum trays and begin passing them out.The soldiers dig in as if famish and more trays were fetched and pass out again.More than a third of these men would have to leave once they arrive in Mokis, many did not like this decision.But as he had agreed, they were more valuable at Mokis than aboard the El Nino, they had combat experience that the soldiers that made up Ody base main force lacked.

Tabaro bit into a sliced of freshly baked bread dipped in gravy and ate quietly, savoring the taste while contemplating their next moves once they actually get to Mokis.Staying there would be suicidal, and as well as endangering the citizens, that much they had agreed on.Mokis was no Kalaro isles and those troops station there were third rate pilots.Once the injured were let off, they would have to leave Mokis and drawing as many pursuers after them as possible.The question that baffle him, was where would they go.He had suggested Lucan as Athan wished, but Kailyn had rejected that with no apparent reasonings.

Tabaro bit itnto the final morsel then slides his plate off the ground and into the hands of a soldier, who looked at it with confusion and simply passed it to the next guy, who passed it on to the next until it was on the counter by the kitchen.Tabaro wipes his mouth with his sleeve and rose.

Athan quickly rosed as well, leaving his plate on the floor and didn't speak until they were outside." I've already lost Neko and Varl.I'd like to get back to Lucan before I lose anyone else."

Tabaro changed course towards the hanger." From what I've seen, your team would have died twice over by now. Or have you forgotten who saved you in the Latana Plains or at BolZie."

" Bolzie, what are you talking about."

They arrived at the hanger, feeling a slight shuddering as the aircraft encountered a slight turbulence as its altitude dropped." Who do you think was piloting that Gyriq when you were attack by those Lupos Stratus."

Athan watched him, saying nothing as he fell in steps behind Tabaro.

" I've known Kailyn mother, Annista Starken, a commander in the Noire Knight for several years now. As far back as I can remember, that kid's been trained to fight.Inside a mobile suit and out, and you got to see the results of several years and millions of credits worth of combat training.He can laugh at your jokes and you can become friends and he'll still kill you without hesitation tomorrow."

The robotic arms where moving above, sounds of banging and sizzling echoes inside the hanger bay, while the smell of dried blood, burnt rubber mixed in with cordite permeated the space through the air.Tabaro saw Kailyn conversing with a specialist from the cockpit of his mobile suit, while the fuel line was pumping ten tons of liquid hyrdrogen fuel into its internal tanks. The chest mounted missile launchers were open, with a robotic arm loading a final missile into the launchers.Tabaro noticed it had its shield back on its left forearm, the night black paint scheme barely matched the mobile suit itself, but it was close enough.At least Kailyn could now reload the 60mm Juri in the midst of battle with two extra back-up clips and its defense had now increase.

Vicati was next to her own Grave, while a pair of specialists continued repairing and rearming the mobile suit.Tabaro sighed, that Gyriq right arm was a hindrance and there hadn't been enough left of Varl's Grave's left arm to even considered it as a replacement.Tabaro moved over towards her." How's the repair work going."

" Its moving ahead slowly, but its coming along," Vicati attention shifted towards the Gizen (r) for brief moment, there was loathing in her eyes." I just want this Gyriq arm gone."

Tabaro chuckled." They are technically from the same cloth along with the Gaiser.Its just a peformance difference."

Vicati turn to Tabaro." The Gaiser."

Tabaro moved next to Grave's feet, tapping it with the knuckles of his left hand." The Graves were brought into being using the designed specs and partial test data from the Gaiser.Since the Gaiser is still an incomplete prototype, its level of performance is still as yet unknown and because of that, the Graves themselves are not up to their original specs. But so far the Gaiser is in league with the Gizen (r) in terms of ground mobility and weapons load."

Vicati snorted unlady like." Incomplete, its operating pretty good fo an incomplete mobile suit."

" Its battle ready only because we used recovered, capatible parts from the Lupos Stratus that were destroyed at BolZie and combat data from the Gizen (r), but those aren't its original parts," Tabaro glanced at the time." We should be landing pretty soon now. You should be on standby."

" Your expecting trouble on Mokis island."

" I'm expecting the Guild to do something rash once we land," Tabaro waved a half salute and headed for the bridge.

The pilot was already beginning landing procedures when he entered and turned slightly." Ody Tower controllers wants us to land thirty kilometers to the east of Gener city.Any closer and these rocket engines could create a disturbance within the population."

" I understand," Tabaro turned to the communication officer." Private Alena make sure they know we have injured onboard we'd like evacuated as soon as possible. Began landing Finna."

" Yes, sir," Private Alena turned to the monitor." Tower control this is the El Nino, requesting immediate EMS units to designated landing zone."

Tabaro tuned her out mentaly as he strap himself into the captains seat and prayed softly as the El Nino descended to the ground slowly using its VTOL rocket engine.They had barely switch off their engines, when half a dozen Gyriqs, with twice as many Zergize MBTs and several APCs began the process of surrounding the aircraft from all sides as had been planned ahead.The Zergize and APC began dispensing large amount of white smoke, in minutes the massive aircracft was almost hidden from view.

" What are they doing," the pilot asked standing.

" Keep dispersing minovsky particles at a low density.They're shielding us with smoke, and keep those engines ready to go," Tabaro rosed and went back to the hanger bay, where a large crew had gathered.Ody base commander with a platoon of armed men were outside staring inside wide eyes.

" Welcome aboard the El Nino, I'm Lieutenant Tabaro Wilisk Kalaro Defense Force."

" Major Avik Efla, commander of Ody base," Elfa replied, stepping inside slowly." I wouldn't have believe it if I hadn't seen it for myself. This aircraft's gigantic. So this is the Elite vessel, you menton in your communication."

" Yes, sir. A Miska-class atmospheric attack carrier."

" I see. So Kalaro felled. We assume its our turn soon enough."

Tabaro nodded." Less than two hours ago."

Efla shoulders slumped." Damn Guild, Its only a matter of time before they come here.How long do you plan to remain here."

" As I've said in my report as quickly as possible, sir. If we're correct its likely we can draw alot of attention away from Mokis islands."

" Let just hope so, we can't afford a major engagement with the Guild.Now where is he." Efla asked suddenly.

Tabaro turned to point at the Gizen (r) and guided the Major to the mobile suit, where the specialist working on the knee joints stared once and walked away." Kailyn, your wanted."

Kailyn looked down from the cockpit and came down immediately, saluting crisply and standing at attention.Major Elfa walked around him, studying him for a moment." I thought you all were dead. But then again, I don't have a file on you, so your claims can't be substantiate."

" Good, the less people know their's a living A-rank Black Knight the better," Kailyn replied coldly.

Efla turned to face Tabaro, looking him sternly into the eyes." We'll began trading what we agreed on.We can sure used those missiles and those seventy-six heavy machineguns to increase our defense.As for the soldiers, your correct they now have combat experience when compare to my men.I'll give you my word, I'll look after them."

Tabaro watched as the Major looked back at Kailyn and the left inside a jeep, waving back once as it sped off.Around him dozens of men in bloody uniform began walking as best they could to the nearest jeep or APC, many looking back for the final time; only twenty would remind behind;although the number wishing to stay had been twice that, mostly those that were needed to maintain the aircraft, its weapons and the mobile suits aboard.They all knew the risk and the likelihood they may never return alive to Mokis or Kalaro isles, but what was there to return to.

Tabaro felt more than heard Kailyn moving beside him and he turn to face him." How soon can we re-supply, could be a long time before we do it again."

Tabaro shrugged." Two hours, maybe three. You sure about this, we can always stay here."

Kailyn went silent, his eyes suddenly staring at a far away place." What happen at Kalaro will only repeat itself here.Besides I'm tired of playing by the Guild rules. We only react to their actions and its always on the defensive.Thats going to change, we know their going to come to Mokis island in a few hours or days.It time we have a nice warm welcome waiting for them don't you think."

" You have a plan."

" Nope, I have a suggestion.Your the Captain, but in the mean time, stop the Zergize from dispensing the smoke cover.Find out when the next Guild satellite will pass overhead and let the engine cool a bit."

" It'll take time to warm back up."

" I know," without another word Kailyn went back to his mobile suit, leaving Tabaro mouth wide open in confusion and shock.To Tabaro, leaving the El Nino engines to cool was akin to signing a death warrant.The distance between Mokis and Kalaro wasn't so great that they would have time to lift off before they knew the Guild was coming.

Tabaro looked around the hanger as Gyriq parts, half burnt but in working order were carted out, along with weapons, ammo and missiles.Tabaro sighed inwardly, what was that guy planning now.He turned back towards the cockpit, the men could handle it from here.

l

**Vehual, Central Guild**

At exactly 1734 hours, Colonel Getave Vellano walked through the door of the ESF HQ after making final flight preparations for his return to Revil. General Avator appeared as if out of now where and beckon him to follow him into his office and ordered coffee and sandwhiches, which was becoming readily becoming Vellano's main source of nourishment, to be delivered to his office. He then ordered Vellano to sit, something that only occured when he was highly irrated, disappointed and on the throes of anger.

Avator said nothing, walking back and fourth across his desk, fuming from the nostrils for about five minutes.Vellano said nothing, watching each movement, absorbing every detail.Then Avator stopped and sat." Its seems Team Requiem failed miserably with only one survivor and not only that, the enemy has captured one of our Miska-class atmospheric assault carrier which is at this very moment now sitting in a field in Mokis."

Vellano nearly leapt out of his seat.To captured an Elite Miska-class intact was impossible.But it had been done, and only hours ago it would seem." We have to somehow destroy it before it leaves Mokis island. Before they find those classified documents aboard."

" Agreed.Along with anyone that has come near that aircraft," Avator slumped into his chair, eyes closing." It would seem they now have the name for that new LFA mobile weapon, its call the Grave.From what the report states the Gizen (r) was also at Kalaro's Isles.As well as another new model, we have yet to identified."

" Another new model." exclaimed Vellano in dis-belief.

" From what the report says, of course its still incomplete. Colonel Orsini," Avator spat the name out." The fool's waiting until the remains of the Eighty-fourth airborne divison arrives on Kalaro isles before he makes his move on Mokis islands.That could be in four to six hours.I'm not waiting that long.I'm sending in a Stryker Team immediately.No two teams this shit has gone on long enough."

" I'm with you on that, sir," said Vellano. A Stryker team, was another name for an Elite Syber Force Spec Ops or Black Ops unit specifically trained in assassination, covert infiltration and rescue operations.The they were the best of the very best elites.

" Normally this would be an easy mission," said Avator." But it won't be.They'll have to get in with little to no information, known troop disposition or with realtime satellite reconnaissance of the area in less than seven hours."

" Maybe we should just go in by air and oblitrate them," suggested Vellano." Less dangerous, far less chance of losing any more of our people, and its very efficient. We did the same thing to Ratheon Institute a year ago and they're still trying to piece together what happen."

Avator eyes squinted shut even tighter.Operation Removal, the most ingenious operation ever carried out by a black ops unit.They had known about the threat pose by Ratheon Institutes training Noire Knight special operation units, if their undercover spy had been accurate with the reports, those A-rank Noire Knights would have become a threat to the Elite Syber Force special operation units, even the Stryker teams.In one day four men and one woman had voted unilaterally to remove that threat quickly, secretly and without leaving any survivors or evidence behind. In a single night, eleven pilots and three mobile suits on trial basis had been removed from existence.Ironically, only one of those eleven pilots had survive that night, but that pilot would never again pilot a mobile suit again.In fact the pilot could never leave his hospital bed.

" And lose a Miska-class and the information it has onboard," Avator shook his head." We have only two weeks remaining, possibly three before Operation Vanguard Blitz begans and the information Team Requiem acquired is vital to the operation."

" I understand," murmured Vellano." I suppose losing that data could create a negative ripple affect."

" Get to Revil immediately, update Van Pollen on the situation," said Avator." While I get this operation moving as soon as possible.Time is not on our side as always."

The two men rose with Vellano saluting crisply and Avator returning the salute before returning to his seat, while Vellano left immediately, Avator turn to his communication monitor.In less than five minutes General Avator had contacted his most elite of his elite combatant force in the Elite Syber Force division, the Black Ops units.It was the ESF most secretive units, where each man and woman must possess a nearly unique combination of physical, intellectual, and non-existent emotional strength.Aside from speed and strength, and natural adaption inside a mobile suit, he/she also requires a first class memory and a thorough kmowledge of dozens of weapons, systems, and demolition techniques.

The Guild Socialist Ministry operates twenty-one Stryker teams of Black Ops units under the command of the ESF Supreme Commander with seventy members in each team, of whom only thirty members are part of the attack platoons.There are fifteen people in support and logistics, technicians and electronic experts, with twenty-five more involved in training, command, and control. Each Stryker Team squadron requires enormous backup in the form of realtime information on an ongoing combat operation to extraction from a combat zone.

The General in command of the ESF own and controlled island of Trifecta, 50 kilometers off shore to the northwest of the Nirvano continent, Stromal Ren Bergove, answered his beeping communication monitor at 1754 hours.He was greated by the Supreme Commander of the Elite Syber Force, who stared at him on the screen from several hundred kilometers away.Without a single word the screen switched to a Navy chart of an island named Mokis.

Bergove peered at the chart. He noted the two big radar domes marked in red around Ody base, with a third mark outside the city of Gener.He noted a narrow channel, marked only thirty-two feet deep, running into a outer harbour walls.He noted where the water stopped and the forest began, the exact location of houses and factories.

There could be but one reason why he had been shown this chart of a potentially hostile position on an island: to organize the destruction of what ever was located at that marked pointed.The Stryker Teams speciality.

In his eyes he was already imagining the open field as his men would see it from the trees as they close-in...the flashing green light on the left of possible armed enemy sentry.he noted the distance from the trees to the marked spot, where the grass were high and low.A possible death trap if they were seen.He wondered how carefully it was all guarded and how many they would have to kill to get out once they were done.

" Evening, General," he said breezily." What do you want us to do, blow the entire area to pieces, or destroy something specific?"

The communication screen switch back, Avator smiled at the insight of the top man at SpecOpsCom." Re-capture one of our captured Miska-class, the El Nino. Is carrying vital data and highly classified information for an upcoming operation. And I don't have to stress the value of the aircraft itself.We've got hours to complete this operation and not days."

'Someone captured a Miska-class,' Bergove failed to hide his surprise, but he caught himself quickly and asked." Do we have permission to take out the guards and anyone inside."

" Yes. In fact, I want anything and everything that may have had contact with with the El Nino destroyed with prejudice.No survivors, no prisoners."

Bergove return to the chart, looking again at the position of the El Nino.Why wasnt it at Ody base, that was strange." Yes, sir. I understand clearly.Will someone transfer the biggest, latest maps and overhead pictures over to us? We should be airborne within two hours, plus we'll used the four hour flight time to carefully plan our assault."

" Stromal, we're dealing with the LFA. So make sure you men know to shoot to kill."

Bergove grinned from ear to ear." That's why you call me sir. That's one thing were good at."

Avator nodded and the screen went black. Leaving Bergove to get to work on a plan of action.That plan took eighty minutes with the help of half a dozen technicians, experts and all of the commanders that would be involved. He had already decided on the hit squad which would carry out this operation dubbed- Operation: Fast Runner.

The senior commanders after careful dilberation, recommended this job for the Team Dark Raiders.They had been selected because they were one of the top ten teams readily available.They then choose the final squad of ten, which would go into the deep into Mokis island. All of the men had to have field experience and knowledgeable about the Miska-class. The deliberation ended at 2023 hours, fifteen minutes later, the orders were pass out.

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**Lucan**

Captain Revfrem stood seventeen kilometers from Safovis base, watching through his Lupus X's main camera.That Arvus-class landbattleship worried him most of all and its exact position could not be verified, and to make matters worst the two motor-rifle companies Colonel Brium had requested from Opan AFB on his behalf had arrived an hour late and at half the strength he would have liked. The sixteen mobile suits, twenty Series 61 MBT and the collection of Thrankas and Vosgoves were nonetheless accpted and seperated into two main groups. Group A to the southwest and Group B to the northwest, while the remains of his 13th mobile-rifle company became Group C and took positions to the northeast.

It was impossible to determine the enemies strength at Safovis. He had complained to Colonel Brium that the troops from Opan had not arrive fast enough and in return Brium had given him the choice of continueing on with the attack or simply joining the Colonel forces massing forty kilometers west of Unterrem city.Revfrem had chosen the latter. He had lose to many good men and mobile suits to just walk away without gaining his pound of flesh. Revfrem considered getting a reconnaissance flight over Safovis, but Opan AFB wasn't about to let loose any of its interceptors.He was only slighty worried the enemy had increase its strength, minovsky particles was denser than he'd ever seen and he had no way of knowing exactly where the Arvus-class was hiding; if it was still there, this would have to be a battle in visual range, but still something wasn't right and without any evidence or visual sightings to prove his assumptions, their was nothing he could do but issue the attack order.

Without delay Refrem's Lupus X fired a single flare into the night's sky.Almost immediately two Lupus Ds and one Lupus B three miles ahead of him, began firing 140mm and 380mm shells towards Safovis base in rapid successions.Instinctively Revfrem switch his main camera to Safovis base and watch as the base itself disintergrated into flames and explosions from three sides.He couldn't see anything, but Revfrem guess the enemy headquarters was amass of flames by now or the enemies well placed troops was dis-organize.

Revfrem watched as his planned bear fruit, for exactly fifteen minutes the barrage continued and suddenly there was a five minutes paused, without a shell firing and the remnants of the 13th MRC began to advanced forward with Revfrem in the rear, ready to direct fire.Revfrem counted slowly, until the second artillery barrage began; they were twelve seconds behind his plan, but this time the mobile suits layed down a massive smoke screen just in front of Safovis base.It was time to began the attack.Revfrem had expected the enemy to began firing counter artillery, but nothing had happen.In fact not a return fire from a Safovis base was detected and that worried him, were they laying an ambush. Only one way to find out.

At three hundred meters from Safovis base, they began to see enemy units, most carefully hidden from plain sight.The infra-red screen showed a poor quality picture, and it was near impossible to distinguish which of the heat sources were mobile suits and which were tanks.Revfrem ordered his first squad to the left flank and his second to the right and began enagaing the enemy.The rapid handle signals were confirmed and the six Lupus Ds split and began firing at any enemy units spotted.Secondary explosions ripple on the opposite side of the base as Group B began laying suppression fire on anything that came into visual range.

As the rate of fire reduce, Revfrem entered the base, skidding right and left, stopping to scan, minovsky particles was dense with no way to communication.He found a MTR partially hidden in a pit, with wreckages hiding it from vew and moved to out flank the MTR, with flip of a few switches Revfrem switched to his heat sword and bounce on the wreckage driving the blade effortless into the top of the MTR, feeling his heart rate increase and his blood pressure rising, but ultimately satisfied.

Revfrem powered jump clear, no secondary explosion followed. He stared at it in confusion, until a Lupus S piloted by Lieutenant Cassau Felinka right hand connected with his Lupus X left shoulder armor." Sir, there's nothing here. There's nothing here, but dummy stacks giving off false heat readings."

Thirteen kilometers away, six ERS-06B Graves observing Kuzur base, began elevating their 125mm cannons in a pre-arranged positions.Satisfied the enemy was deep inside Kuzur base, the commander gived a quick command.Ten seconds later fifty 125mm HEAP was sailing through the air towards Kuzur aka Safovis base.As the last 125mm cannon bark, the commander gived a coarsed command and all six Graves disappeared into the trees and begin heading on a southwesten heading at the Graves maximum ground speed.

The Lupus X mono-eye turret shifted slightly inisde it X-shape face plate, locking on the Lupus S and Revfrem barked." What...

The main camera looked right and left, Lupus Ds were raking right and left with 76mm heavy machineguns in the very heart of the base, but still there was no return fire.It was like." Sonofabitch, withdraw, get out of here."How could he not have seen it, his desire for revenge had blinded him, Safovis base was pouring minovsky particles like no tomorrow from a dozen different places; not to hide the Arvus class, but to hide the fact that no one was actually here.

There was blinding flash and an overwelming blast struck Revfrem and knocked his Lupus X back.Instinctively he allowed his Lupus X to drop to the ground as the fire, smoke and partially burn hangers blew apart under the thunderous explosions.The explosions lasted ten terrifying seconds. Having directed, but never having been under the barrage of artillery fire before, it took Revfrem several minutes longer to realize that the shock waves had stop and he rosed his Lupus X to its feet, scanning right and left.Lieutenant Felinka Lupus S tood upright in a twisted angle, with a wide gap in its lower torso.

Around him Lupus Ds and Lupus Bs began to recover, Revfrem counted off eleven units that appeared undamage and he realized with a sickening feeling that he had fallen knee deep into the enemies trap.The unit that had stayed behind to attack him, were probably long gone and by the time he re-organized his forces, it would be impossible to follow without falling into another ambush.Revfrem swore, signaling to his forces to form up, he would join Colonel Brium forces in their assault on Unterrem after all.

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**Over the LaGrange Ocean**

Team Dark Raider sat together in the rear of the gigantic CT-31 as it inched its way forward, twenty thousand feet above the LaGrange Ocean.Winched on rails inside a crate container in the hold was their method of arriving to Mokis island, the forty-foot-long Deep Sea Summersible or DSS.Team Raider sat in close, silent camaraderie of fighting men who have nothing much to say to anyone except each other.They wore their regular Elite uniforms for a change.Also packed in the hold, with the miniature submarine, were crates containing the combat equipements they would use on their mission to eridicate anyone and anything within a hundred meters of the El Nino.

Each man owned a highly flexible, custom-made, neoprene wet suit, which provide excellent thermal protection; even in eighty-degree water will sap the heat out of a man's body if he stays in to long.The big Elite made flippers, for extra speed, were custom-made also.

Their leader was Captain Duce Anet, a thirty-two year old veteran of the Lucan Campaigne and his men, like himself carried with them a couple of modern commercial scuba diver's mask, the bright colours obscured with black water-resistant tape.Not one of the ten swimmers would wear a watch on the mission, because of the risk of the luminous dial being spotted by a sentry.

Captain Anet knew that the principle weapons of this particular hit team were stealth, surprise, cunning, and skill.He hoped not to need any extraordinary aids, except strength, brains, and silence.Team DarkRaider landed at one of the newly cleaned airstripe of the newly captured Fort Nirka base at 2435 hours in the dead of night.After a quick supper, while a crew of ten men loaded and stowed their equipment, Team DarkRaider moved aboard a fast-attack submarine operating with the Buchus battle group.The 300 kilometers journey in the hunter-killer submarine would take them directly south; three hours and twenty minutes, running at twenty-eight knots.

They knew it wold be cramped because the 4,200 minovsky fusion powered boat needed all of its crew of 88 and 9 officers for a mission like this, which required the ship to be on high alert on a permanent basis.As the minutes spiral down, nerves began to tighten.Captain Anet went over the plan again and again, at every open opportunity, until it was written on the heart of each Elite.They were advise to sleep the last two hours of the journey, and began their final preparations at 0329.Each man would be ready by 0415 hours, with his underwater air system strapped on, knives, and machineguns equiped witl silencers and clips buckled down, and water proofed as far as possible for the swim.The official start time for the mission was at 0430, at which time the ten men enter the DSS, in the black of night.

At 0435 hours, with the ship silent at periscope depth offshore of Mokis island, the Elites, faces blackened with water-resistant oil, began their climb into the deck shelter, an excercise they had practice four times an hour from the moment they had left Fort Nirka.They slipped up through the open hatch with slick expertise, and then climbed through the second hatch into the DSS. Captain Anet and his second in command Lieutenant Kesh Gyrun occupied the two seperated compartments in the bow, which house the driving and navigation seats.The dry shelter flooded quickly, but the actual departure took much longer than anticipated; last minute operations always had a glitch Anet mumble.Finally the divers pushed and shoved the little submarine clear, released the tether, and swam back to the shelter before the Elites started the electric motor.

At 0445 they moved forward, course three-four-three, which would take them on a dead straight line towards the narrow channel for one hour, on a heading that would take them as close as possible to the El Nino outside the city of Gener.

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**Aboard the El Nino**

Kailyn continously tosses in his sleep, a nightly cycle that dragged him deeply into the throes of another nightmare of emotional proportion.' _Not there, not there...Rouk, Oban NOOO_-

Kailyn half alseep leaps out from beneath his blankets, his body quiverring, his bloodcurdling yell diminishing to an agonizing wheeze as his mind and drowsy eyes slowly recognizes the Captains quarters.He stares at the bed mounted on the bulk head, the sheets soaked with sweat.A twelve inch, communication monitor above the bed remain black, turned off earlier. A small bathroom was in the corner, blocked by a rubber-like partition, a small desk and three chairs sit in one corner overlooking a square window made of a new crystalline-base material used in mobile suits handheld weapons.

It takes several long minutes for Kailyn to shake clear his thoughts loose from the terror that nearly choked him.Throwing the blanket on the floor, he slides off the bed and stands onto the floor, heading into the bathroom.Finally able to think rationally, he washes the dry taste out of his mouth and takes a five minute cold shower; the amount of water pre-programme not to exceed three gallons at in any given bathroom.He steps in front of the mirror staring at himself.The boyish smile and charmed was gone, replaced by a deep-rooted anger he could see cleary.

' _I've been on this_ _planet to damn long, I've become emotionally attached to far to many people and my soul has become burden.Gravity has already gripped my very being.Is this what Krause was afraid off, this feeling of emptiness and loneliness._

He walks back into the room, re-dresses in his black combat battle suit, and heads for the Messhall.The place was empty of humans, but filled with partially open boxes half empty; the supplies promise by Major Elfa had arrived late.Kailyn heads back to the kitchen, moving slowly towards the big walk in freezer bolted to the bulkhead;Dozens of boxes of frozen goods are lined up along the perimeter of the walk-in and on aluminum shelves.The heavy scent of frozen vegatables, chicken and beef blood mixes with the cold, which slowly seeps through his battle suit.He finds several dozen boxes of medium size pizza and takes one, exiting the walk-in freezer.

Not surprising, the giant mircowave was bolted to the wall as well, Kailyn glanced at the digital clock as he pops in the pizza for five minutes on high.It was 0515 hours. The microwave beep thrice almost the exact moment he felt a colder shudder course through his body and tingly sensation at the back of his head , Kailyn head snapped to the door, his right hand reaching for his handgun, only to remember he had left it in the Gizen (r) cockpit with his combat knives.The door slided open and in stepped the red-eyed and bushy haird female LFA pilot.He mentally tried to recall her name and gived up after realizing he'd never heard.

She stepped two feet inside and stopped suddenly on spotting him, glancing once around the empty room._'Another hungry person'_ Taking his hot pizza, he moved to the nearest table and sat, taking a slice and chewing slowly.It could use another minute in the microwave, but it was warm enough to eat.Kailyn took another slice and feeling a low pressure building at the back of his head, turning to see the Grave's pilot glaring at him. Was she the one radiating so much pressure.

Kailyn stops after his third slice and shift to stare at the pilot, neither of them moving moving.Her constant glaring was starting to irrated him, add that t the ever increasing pressure in his head.kailyn asked." You have something to say, then say it Lucanite."

She wipes her mouth with the back of her right hand." Go screw yourself.You think your all bad.I really hate your guts."

Kailyn chuckles and takes a fourth slice, chewing slowly." Join the club, I hate me to."And he meant it, he hated his weakness, and more important he hated his lack of any real power, he had more hand-to-hand combat and mobile suit piloting skills locked in his head, than any two war veteran on the face of this pilot( minus Krause and his mother) and yet he couldn't stop two people he actually called his friends to die.

Not satisfied, Vicati walked over to the table and slammed her palms hard on the aluminum metal, glaring." What were you doing in the Latana plains and where did you get that Guild mobile suit."

Kailyn takes a bite off pizza, chewing slowing, watching and swallows before asking." What were you doing in the Latana plain and why were the Guild chasing you."

Vicati stepped back, her expression change from loathing to surprise and quickly back to loathing." That's none of your business. And I ask you first.""

Kailyn stands up, wiping his hands on his pants." Exactly, its none of your business." He walked towards the door, leaving the kitchen and his two slices of pizza on the table." Don't ask a question, when you can't answer one in return.Oh, and I haven't forgotten about that bazooka round."

Only three people was in the cockpit and he slipped behind Tabaro who was fast alseep in the Captains chair." Anything.'

Tabaro bolted upright, half awake and eyes wide and red, staring directly at him."What...what."

The male radar operator turned around away from the screen and answered." Nothing, sir."

" Wasn't their a female radar operator here._I must be losing my mind_," Kailyn asked slightly confused.

" That was Private Quatz, she's taking a nap, she'll be back in two hours.Private Bonn here is our alternate," Tabro answered and then turning to face the cockpits window, which also held a red digital clock that red.0530 hours." Their still not here, what are they waiting for."

Kailyn shrugged, it was confusing as hell, the Guild had to know they could launch the El Nino at any minute and leave Mokis, but yet not a blip was detected in the direction of Kalaro isles.Not that he was complaining, it just wasn't like the Guild to act so slowly.I'm going down to the hanger bay and check on the modifications I wanted done on the Gizen (r) and then a five mile jog outside."

Without waiting for a reply, Kailyn turn to the door leading to the hanger.The place was alot more lively, no more than eight Specialists and Warrant Officers were at work on the five mobile suits, including the Lupus X.Only two were over his Gizen (r) and he approached quickly." Well, did you do it."

Specialist Aaron Gihger looked up from his computer pad, weary eyed." Yes, sir. We rosed the thruster output by three percent.Just complete re-coating the jointed with electromagnetic coating.The systems fully calibrated and we were just about to do a full systems check. Should be ready in thirty minutes"

Kailyn stared at Gihger, the one person he allowed to service his mobile suit besides Tabaro." You've been up all night."

Gihger turn away." Yes sir."

" Gihger.I want you in bed in thirty-five minutes getting some rest.I'm going outside for some air, when I get back, you'd better be long gone. Do I make myself clear."

The Specialist open his mouth to protest, and stopped on seeing the glare directed down at him and he quickly nodded his head as Kailyn continued." My hand weapons."

" Cockpit where you left them, sir." Gihger answered.

" Gihger."

Specialist Gihger looked up from his work." Sir."

" Stop calling me sir. Just call me Kailyn."

" Yes, si..Kailyn."

Kailyn nodded and began climbing the ladder to the cockpit, their were only two lifts available, one was at the Lupus X and another at the Gaiser.

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The hour passed quickly, but everyone was feeling very cramped as Lieutenant Gyrun slid up to the surface for a "fix," and then aimed the little boat across the final mile towards the trees.They pass as close to the canal walls as possible without touching it, and reach their disembarkation point.Captain Anet waited a full minute before saying softly." This is it, guys.Right here."

Lieutenant Gyrun said quickly."We're going to the bottom.Its about thirty-two feet deep.Standby to flood rear compartments.Connect air lines, activate air valves, flippers on and fasten.

All the men felt the ship settle on the bottom.In the back they adjusted valves, shoved their feet into the flippers, clipped and fastened.Then they signaled everyone was ready.Lieutenant Gyrun opened the electronic valve and the seawater began to flood ino the bigger" wet-and-dry-compartment," and into the tiny one occupied by Anet.

As the pressure equalized inside and outside of the DSS, the Elites were sitting like so many Trakens in a completely flooded area.Then the three hatches were opened, and one by one Team DarkRaider popped out.Anet was first, holding his board rigidly in front of him, getting the feel of the water, stabilizing his breathing, coming to an operational depth about twelve feet below the surface.The oxygen could last up to four hours if every action was steady and relaxed or sixty minutes with panicky movements.

Anet felt his two colleagues touched him on either shoulder.The seven men he could see swimming into position right behind.And with long steady kicks the brown haired captain began to dive towards land.He knew by a certain glowing that within an hour the sun would rised, and he hoped the El Nino was still where it had been two hours ago.He came nearer to the end of their swim, and sensed his team was still together in a tight group.The last minute seemed to take an hour, and up ahead he could sense a long blurred line in the water.It was an old dockyard chain.Anet swimm to the surface and located around him.Nothing.Quickly, he slippped out of the water, taking cover in the trees.He waited for his four black-suited comrads.No sound passed between them.They unclipped their flippers and carried them into a small bush.Each one noted the light emanating from the atmospheric carrier in the distance.The aircraft itself cast a giant diamond shadow over the ground as they moved in slowly.

They stopped and whispered briefly.The four men would conduct a quick recce.The men were gone, leaving Anet to check his weapon and were back in ten minutes. The Elites exchanged information in whispers." There's five sentries with machineguns around the El Nino."

All the men could see the sun was soon to come up, forty-five minutes tops." Its getting brighter...we'll have to work real fast... shoot the suckers before we move in..there's a clearing ahead...you'll get a good view, Captain...take out that fucker walking to the north.Any one else so much as walks out that aircraft, he's history..."

Anet waved his hand and headed for the opening.They were right. It was getting brighter, the shadow by the El Nino looked inviting.He was in a good spot to see the head of the sentry.He dropped to the floor, checked his weapon and then the silencer, and aimed it carefully at the forehead of the sentry walking back and forth, forty feet away.

He took his left hand off the weapon and placed his forefinger and middle finger in a V over his nose, signifying that he had the enemy in his sights.He waited and watched until four similiar signals came from his left.The he raised his left hand and jammed his index finger into the air." Now." Immediately Captain Anet shot the sentry clean between the eyes as he turned in mid-step, sending him backwards and hard to the ground.

The silencer on the MR-2 had done its job.The hidden Stryker team had heard just the tiny, familiar "phuttt," followed by the thud.There was no noise as the ten men began to advance on the El Nino in pairs, one covering the rear, and left flank at the same time the other covered the front and right flank.

Anet saw it first, a shadow moving and he lifted his left arm, fist clench, fingers outward, a universal signal to " Freeze" even as he prep his weapon and took aim.The rest of Team Night Raider stopped and dropped on their left knees to a man, just as a dark haired figure in a weird black suit came out of the El Nino's open hanger bay and stopped suddenly, the figure head snapped towards Anet, their eyes locking for the briefest of moments.Anet dropped the new comer as he paused to step back, with a three round burst to his chest from thirty feet.The person never made a sound as he hit the ground.

Anet rose, signaling to his partner to check the body making sure it was down for good and sprinted forward towards the El Nino quickly and turn his back against the wheels and taking cover in the darkness. He watched Private First Class covered the body with his assaut rifle and moved in close, kneeling beside it to check for a pulse and Anet turn to the hanger bay; there was no doubt in his mind that the body on the ground was dead. Three shots to the chest with AP rounds from thirty feet, was a sure killer and he began creeping forward with slow steps towards the El Nino's hanger bay.His mind locked on killing every living thing inside the El Nino as quickly as possible and then flying off with the aircraft before the sun had time to peek its bright little head over the horizone.

_' In thirty minutes, this'll all be over.'_

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Mobile Suits and Aircrafts Stats

Version (Model number): GTS-04

Code name: Gyriq

Manufacturer: Gulvanize base

Operators': Deikumia Foundation, Lucan Freedom Alliance, Kalaro Defence Force, Kazan Mobile Corps, Ragua Imperial Guards

Crew: Pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso

Height: Head height 16.7 meters; overall height 17 meters

Weight: Fully loaded 57.5 metric tons; empty 45 tons

Armor: Super-hard steel/ceramic composite

Powerplant: Type B2 Minovsky ultracompact fusion reactor, output rated at 1090 kW

Propulsion: rocket thrusters: 52650 kg

Performance: maximum thrust acceleration 0.92 G; 180-degree turn time 2.3 seconds

Equipments and design features: sensors, 3200 meters

Fixed armaments: none

Optional hand armament: G5 380mm bazooka, clip-fed, 5 rounds per clip, spare clips on waist armor rack, G3 105mm machinegun, clip-fed, 30-rounds per clip, spare clip on back waist armor rack

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Version ( Model number): GTS-04C

Code name: Gyriq Custom

Manufacturer: Gulvanize base, Gia Heights Asden base

Operators: Deikumia Foundation, Lucan Freedom Alliance

Crew:pilot only, standard cockpit in torso

Height: 15.2 meters; overall height 15.5 meters ( with command antenna)

Weight: Fully loaded 51.6 metric tons; empty 40 metric tons

Armor:Titanium/ceramic composite

Powerplant: Type B3C or Type XMF-01B Minovsky ultracompact fusion reactor, output rated at 1350 kW

Propulsion: Rocket thrusters: 54900 kg

Performance: maximum acceleration 1.1 G, 180-degree turn time 1.8 seconds

Equipments and design features: sensors, 4700 meters

Fixed armaments:none

Optional hand armaments: ZT-HS/34A Heat Rapier, battery powered, stored on recharge rack on back armor waist, T-S/29 Heat sword, G5 380mm bazooka, clip-fed, 5 rounds per clip, spare clips on waist armor rack, G3 105mm machinegun, clip-fed, 30-rounds per clip, spare clips on right side waist armor rack.Also capable of carrying mobile suits weapons of different design and manufacture


	15. Chapter 14

**Mobile Suit Gundam: Vanguard Blitz**

**Chapter 14**

**_30 kilometers outside Gener city_**

**_Wake up_**

Kailyn opens his eyes.He focuses his gaze straight up, seeing nothing but darkness and hearing nothing but silence, he tries to move, but finds his arms and legs refusing to respond, neither can he speak.Kailyn lies on the wet ground, numb, mute, unable to see his surroundings and terrified, drowning in his own fear.Unable to move or cry out for help.

**_Wake up_**

The all to familiar male voice echoes from somewhere in the caverns of his mind, followed by the memory of what had happen to him.He had just exit the El Ninos hanger bay and had felt a sudden increase of pressure and a cold shuddering feeling coursing through his mind.He had seen the dark figure kneeling in the distance to late in time to react.

' _Was I shot.I'm I dead._

**_No but we will be if you don't act immediately._**

_"What the? Who are you."_

His question came in the form of an electrical zap--his senses immediately blanketed in the maddening blackness and then utter silence.

A stomach churning sensation, like that generated by an elevator descending into a maddening inducing depth of darkness.Strange sounds echo in his ears, rapid approaching sounds of footsteps, each growing louder by the second.An now even through the pitch-black, he could sense objects all around him, moving past him.Some close, others off in the distance.

And somehow, he can sense without seeing which direction they were coming from and where they were going.Ten objects in all.

Not just the directions, Kailyn begans to feels varying levels of density surrounding him.A vast plain lies below.A myriad of twinkling bodies veer out of his path, somewhere ahead.Above, he registers the sensation of a human presence moving above him.The presence... so cold and solitary-envelopes him like an icy mist, forcing his confused mind to focus upon that one practicular presence.

_**Wake up.Now**_

The sensations fades as his sight returns.He finds himself gazing upon a tapestry of white dots... no not dots--stars, luminescent points of light, each one expanding within his minds eyes like rows of pixels on a cathode-ray tube.Magnifying, they quickly vanish from his field of vission, replaced by figure leaning over him with a machingun.

His sudden movements catch the figures eyes.

Just like the Latana plains against the Covera Ar, Kailyn hands reacted without his direct commands ( his mind slow to grasping the situation)- as the figure over him extends its machingun barrel down to his head, Kailyn right hand withdrew the serrated combat knife from his boot at an inhuman speed and ram it directly into the man's heart, punching through to the other side; killing him instantly.

The body collapse on top him, earning a painful grimace fron his lips as a searing pain suddenly shoot-out from his abdomen and right shoulder.He takes a deep breathe, gagging at the stench of blood pouring over him, mixing with his own, followed in by an all to familiar throbbing headache that left his mind feeling like it was ready to burst open.

Kailyn rolled the dead body off his chest with difficulty, taking the machinegun from the vice grip fingers, feeling pins and needles in his fingers as he held it with his right hand and steadied it with his left, he checks the safety.Kailyn rolls on his stomach, the barrel coming up firing in semi-automatic mode even as his body screamed in agony at the painful position.

The nine figures were already backed gainst the El Nino, creeping towards the open hanger bay, completely unaware of him.Kailyn didn't care--if it moved, it had to die.He was not about to determine friend or foe, or make this neat, silent or merciful.He had the element of surprise and he used it.He rarely needed more than two shots to take down one of the dark figures--one shot to the chest, one to the head with deadly precision.

Three dark-clad figured dropped dead, before his exact position was located and the remaining dark clad figures began returning fire.Kailyn used the dead body for cover against the incoming rounds, several zipping pass his expose head, but most thudded against the dead form.There was no sounds of gunshots to bring in reinforcement, just the phuttt phuttt phuttt in the pre-dawn morning of the incoming and outgoing 5.56mm bullets.One clad figure moved to his left trying to outflank him, staying close to the ground, he popped up firing and Kailyn popped him in the chest with a single round, the figure dropped down on the ground, rolling away in the darkness screaming in agony.

Kailyn knew he had time on his hands, who ever these guys were they had been stopped cold from completing their mission and the longer they spent shooting it out with him, the more likely someone would come walkin out of the hanger bay and get a glimpse at what was happening, and all it would take is one mobile suit and these guys were done for.But how long would it take someone to come outside, seconds...minutes, he didn't have minutes.Then it dawn on him, he had his 9mm handgun on his back and he reached his left hand back for it in the midst of dropping another figure.

He level the 9mm and fired, the loud thunderclap bang stopped the assault on his position for a split second as the clad men quickly realized their time was up, it was now or never.One dove to his right, while another came from his left, and Kailyn fired the MR-2 with one hand to the right and banging rounds with his 9mm to the left.Kailyn heard a scream, but couldn't tell from which direction.He dropped the empty MR-2 and reloaded the 9mm, while crawling backward using his elbow and toes, while shooting off rounds into the darkness.

He saw movements to his right running, a figure running towards the trees.Kailyn twisted slightly, took careful aim and fired.The shots crashed out in the night.The figure ran another few paces, then felled to the ground.Kailyn surveyed the area, waiting and listening.After a minute of hearing and seeing nothing he rosed to his feet slowly, feeling his chest hurting and his heart racing.He had been shot, more than once.Two in shoulder and one in the lower abdomen; some bullet proof combat suit Kailyn swore as he limp back to the El Ninos hanger bay in agony, his eyes seeing spots.

Kailyn saw a figure crawling on the ground slowly, but very much alive.He change course slightly towards the figure.His presence or footsteps heard and the figured turned to face him, eyes glaring behind the black oil and Kailyn stared at him in rage at the symbols on the black wet suit." Your a damn Elite Syber Force.Well you fucked up big time and later today, your going to be fucked up even more.Nighty night asshole." Without hesitation he knelt beside the figure and used the butt of his 9mm handgun and cracked the back of the guy's skull open with enough force to do brain damage and rosed as the guy layed unconscious, Kailyn walked three steps forward, stopped suddenly and turned around and shot the Elite three time in the right foot; the unconscious figure came to screaming, a blood chilling screech and then silence as the figure return to a mindless bliss, he wasn't going anywhere.

He stumble on towards the El Nino hanger, smelling of blood, sweat and gun powered.A specialist carrying a cordless powered drill turn to face him and gasped, stagger stepping backwards in shock.At that moment everything inside the hangerbay became hazy, as if it was moving away from him and he collasped on the steel floor, never feeling the pain from the bullet wounds as he to slowly fell into a world of total darkness.

_Well done Khimeranian.Now rest._

**_Meanwhile outside_**

Lieutenant Gyrun watched hidden behind a clump of trees as his team-mates fell one by one, his mind stuck between shock, pain and the inability to do a thing about it.He waited, bleeding from a gunshot wound in his torso until the coast appeared clear and slowly began to crawled back the way they had come towards the DSS.It took five minutes of agony to find where their gears had been hidden, with difficulty he put on his flipper, put on his oxygen tank and turn on the valve, breathing slowly, dropped the three remaining ammo clips and his guns, pulled down his mask, and lowered himself over the edge.It was a five foot drop.

Gyrun cursed the missions failer as he hit the ice cold water, feeling the pain from his wound ten-folds.He made a huge splash and took a bearing and began the first of many kicks to the DSS.He found it ten minutes later after a endless search.Gyrun had been listening for the regular light-frequency "peep-da-peep-peep" of the homing signal which would guide him to it.When he heard it once, he would hear it every other thirty seconds.Gyrun picked it up while doing a third sweep in a wide circle in the shadow of the canal wall.

The rest was routine.He followed the signal in and circle the hull and climbed into the open, flooded compartment.Gyrun grabbed the air lines to the central system.Closing the canopies behind him and depress the enable switch, he heard the hum of the pumps as the water was drain out and replaced by air.The compartment was quickly dry again, and he quickly took his spot in the solo navigation compartment, potting a course out of the canal and back to sea, the DSS making a steady speed of six knots.

Quickly Gyrun began to make a few calculation in his head.Never in his life had he heard of a Stryker Team failing in a mission, and the Dark Raiders was no exception.To return home in failure would be considered a disgrace in the name of the Stryker Teams and all who serve in that Elite of Elites organization.What could he say on his return; that a lone wounded sentry, one they thought they had kill had somehow manage to kill his comrades and wounded him.Gyrun slowed the DSS at the mouth of the canal and slowly settle it down to the sea-floor, contemplating and questioning each decision made, each movement forward and eachs step of the plan.Nothing they had done had been wrong.

Gyrun unsure of what to do, began to working on a preliminary report of the operation.Everthing he saw, everything that happen written from down from memory, leaving nothing out.Satisfied, Lieutenant Gyrun sent his half-page coded signal on the only use Stryker Team satellite direct to Trifecta island just before dawn.

Gyrun then took out a pound of explosives, and primed in a timing mechanism, which he carefully primed set for one minute.Taking a cigarrette from a hidden case, Gyrun depress the timing mechanism to began its count-down and began smoking in silence.No Stryker Team had ever return from a mission in failure and none ever will; at least not from the Dark Raiders, he would make sure of that.Closing his eyes, Gyrun mentally counted off the last few seconds.

Ten.Nine.Eight.Seventh.Six.Five.Four.Three.Two...

**_50,000 km above Deikumia Foundation_**

A tall man with the pale complexion and shoulder-length auburn hair fidgets as he watches the holographic screen before him.He scans the crew at their station in the arc shape bridge for their reaction, then glances back at the holographic screen._'Unbelievable, for the Elite Syber Force to dispatch one of their invaluable Stryker Teams at an insignificant obstacle. At least ten percent of them are bio-engineered weapons with a skill level that rivals young Kessaro, well as long as his Neural Limiters still in place and operating that is.But still, for him to let them sneak up on him, undetected and put him down like a dog is to much."_

The tetra/gundarium alloy Vitrial-class cruiser Vegnet continous forward slowly at cruising speed for another long-range orbit around the planet Genesis.Aragon knew the Vegnet was not alone in high orbit, but not even the Guild had the technology to see through the Vegnet's minovsky particle impulse waves.Nearly ten times more effective than standard minovsky particles in disrupting both high and low frequency electromagnetic radiation, such as mircowaves and radio waves as well as destroys even the most protected circuits due to the particle waves huge electrical charge which acts as a never ending electromagnetic pulse on metal objects.But even if they were somehow lucky enough to detect or see the Vegnet on their sensors; nothing in the Guild military arsenal could ever hope to take on a single mobile suit aboard and they had twenty mobil suits along with two Gundam type models; one of which was going through a belated upgrade.

The Vegnet is the second Vitrial-class cruiser to be built by the remnants of the Khimeran Space Forces.A Vistrial-class cruiser resembles a 400-meter-long triangle, 40-meter wide at the bow and ending at 300-meter wide at the tail; with three large V-wing shaped bits at the rear on each side, with their own shields and reactors, that could easily serves as long-range remote beam weapons or as a secondary shield if need promising the the smallest class of warships in the KSF, the Vistrial-class was design with stealth and reconnaissance in mind, with state-of-the-art sensors and cameras mounted on moveable turrets about its body.Due to the Vistrial primary role as a reconnaissance platform and potentially a flagship, its hull was technologically enhance with doubly reinforce hull engineering. It was also a silent, undetectable predator with the teeth to much.Its weaponary although smaller and less in stature, was similiar to the muched feared Tsar-class Drednought Valieum and Zalieum, which included a single 500cm VSMPPBC( Variable Speed Mega Plasma Particle Beam Cannon) main gun located under its bow, 5 x 2-barrel secondary gun, two on located on each sides and one at the rear.Its second secondary weapons are 4 x 8 tube multi-purpose missile launchers that fire the Hornet missiles.The Hornets missiles are designed to take out support ships or incoming mobile suits fast.When fired, these look like ordinary heat-seeking missiles, but then they break apart and blankets a large area around the ship with high-velocity gundarium y alloy shells.These gundarium y shells rip apart mobile suits and smaller support ships that come speeding into to them.

' _But still what was that unknown signal again.It has to originate from somewhere_.' Aragon walked to the edge of the platform seperating the Captains chair from the bridge crew below and looked down at one of the operators." Ensign Sage, have you determine where that signal we detected came from yet."

The young operator stuck her head up." Signal origins unknown sir."

'_ Damn._Can we trace the path of the signal to its source," Aragon asked, as the elevator platform behind him begin to hum as it raises.

" I'll try, sir."

" Don't try.Do it."Aragon gritted his teeth, for a signal to come out of nowhere and interfer with Kailyno Kessaro's MEMS Neural Limiters was something of grave concern.Everyone aboard the Vegnet had them implanted, even Annistan Kessaro had them, it acted as a homing beacon to track her movement to within a meter or less on the planet surface, as well as a direct interface with her personal mobile suit. Aragon felt the pressure from his mind as Krause stepped into the bridge and turned to face him." Done yelling at the hanger crew already."

" Just pushing them harder to get my Raptor ready as soon as possible," Krause muttered leaning on the rails and breathing in deeply." Krill I missed this smell."

" You'll get used to it, I'm sure." Aragon move back to the holographic screen, which showed the diagram of a skeletal head, with a blue orb shape object at the base of the skull with binary codes symbols of: A, T, C, and G, which correspond to the four nucleic acids, which make up DNA.

Krause steps beside him, eyes narrowed and anger in his voice." Isn't that where a Neural Limiter is located.Whose scans are those."

Aragon sighed." Don't worry, their not yours.Their young Kessaros'. Come to think about it--

" I've already given the Chief Medical Officer some fresh cells for my new Limiter, should be a few days before its done.Just in time for my new Raptor Gundam to be unveil," Krause chuckle out loudly." I just hope the synchronous ratio is upped and not lowered."

' _He's been on that planet to damn long_.' Suddenly without warning the holograhic screen along with the image went black and Aragon gasp, stepping back from the monitor, shocked." What the...Ensign..what happen."

" I was just bypassing one of Limiters G3X2300 circuits, it just shut down suddenly." the twenty-three-year-old brunette stammered, looking up eyes wide open.

Krause stepped forward looking down." Say what.Can you reactivate it."

Ensign Sage shook her head." I've tried, its not responding to any of the activating protocols."

Aragon swore inwardly, knowing full well the implications of an offline Limiter, it was connected directly to the brain." What about the homing beacon, its independent of the Limiter can you track its position." The ensign shook her head."Detect any brain wave patterns." Another head shake.

" I've never heard of a Type G3X2300 Limiter. G3 models are given to potential Gundam pilots," Krause said, eyeing Aragon suspiciously." Just what were you trying to do messing with a Limiter.Messing with those things can cause irreversible brain damage or worst, brain death."

" We weren't trying to do nothing. We've been picking up an unusal signal from Kessaros brain wave patterns every so often.The last forty-eight hours that signals grown stronger, but we can't track its location, but we do know it has something to do with his Limiter," Aragon said taking the captains chair and bringing up a rectangle holographic screen.Instead of fixed-function buttons on the chair, the screen had function buttons on the holograhic screen itself that could be selected using a tractball, by touching the screens itself, or by using spoken commands.Aragon used all three methods simultaneously, which allowed him to operate his controls with incredible speed.

Krause turn his head this and that way." I hope you weren't messing with my Limiter, cause if you were--

The Vegnet acting captain shakes his head." Your G3M2000 isn't that interesting.Kessaro Limiter is of a rare type."

"How so."

" It was built using living cells and tissue samples from both Kessaro and the pilot of that Apocalypse Gundam with a reverse engineered Praetorian pilot Limiter," Aragon said with a tight grin.

Krause begin pacing about the captains chair." Bloody krill.They stuck a half Praetorian and half Khimeranian built Limiter in that kids' head." Krause stopped and rubs his hair." The kids nineteen, he's been on that planet for almost fifteen years.Just how long has he had that thing in his head."

Aragon shrugged." Fourteen years, give or take a few weeks."

" How many others got this new Limiter."

" Seven others, Kessaro was number eight."

" Where are they."

" Each candidate was place on a different uncharted star system." Aragon rosed from his seat.

Krause motions Aragon aside." Just how many of them are alive today."

Aragon hesitated, most of this was classified information, he of course only knew as much as he needed to know." None.Kailyno's the only survivor.The others develope a mental disorder and eventually died from brain hemorrhaging as well as complications.But that happen within five years and as far as we can tell those Limiters weren't the cause. Besides he's had that for fourteen years, with no complication."

" Oh sure, keep telling yourself that.Does she know."

" The Commander, of course she knows."Aragon replied immediately.

Krause stepped back, whistling." Well that answers alot of questions I had. So the kids' a test subject, meant to test that Limiter out. So what do we do now."

Aragon sighed." There's nothing we can do.There's a high probability he's already brain dead, if he's not already dead.He was injured sometime ago, that we know for sure."

Ensign Sage voiced echoed from below." Sir, Commander Kessaro tame suddenly stopped several klicks outside Azah base."

Aragon sighed, as he moved back to the captain chair." Bring up the view screen.Assign three remote cameras to cover multiple angles of the assault on their target, with one assign to the commander mobile suit itself."

" Yes, sir."

Krause asked." What about Young Kessaro, what do we do about him."

" Without an exact fix on his position, finding him will be near impossible.We'll have to wait until we can reactivate his homing beacon and track in on it, until then.We wait." Aragon turned to the holographic screen as the screen materialized into an overlaid chart of Central Deikumian filled with tiny blips.

Krause paused to watched for a moment, then decided against it and pivot left and walked towards the elevator platform.Aragon ignored him and concentrated on the screen before him.Later, after the assault, they would study and analyze every detail of the battle, developing and improving on their own tactic.Sometimes even the most basic combat engagements yielded vast amounts of interesting data that needed to be broken down and analyze properly.' _Beside's, we've gather more than enough data over the years for the scientists to work with.As of now that Limiter is of no use to us, along with the subject.'_

l

**_Outside Azah base, Central Deikumia Foundation_**

" Its possible they had no idea, Captain," said Sergeant Paran Misha as he laid down on the dirt next to the map in front of Phollias knelt Grave." You did say it yourself, that this plan was assemble to hastily.So I imagine a recon in this area was near impossible."

" Of course they could have recon this area," spat Icina Phollia." they just choose not to.Those so call Intel guys have been sitting on their ass to long looking at satellite photos to have miss something like this."

What had supposedly gotten Phollia madder than a beehive having its nest poked, was directly between the twelve Graves of Alpha Company's present position and their objective; Azah base.They had known well in advance that Azah base would have a considerable defense force, both within and around the surrounding area, but what had not been noticed or even reported, was that in the intervening months since the Guild had captured Azah base, that the Guild had cut down the trees as far back as five kilometers and set up another base directly on one of the major highways four kilometers east of Azah base.Phollia had already surmised that this base code name Camp One was nothing more than a highly guarded and defended security checkpoint for supplies, complete with a small functional airfield and MS hangers.

" I agree." said Mitsuba, taking a place beside the map across from Misha." This base is just to big to go unnoticed, must have taken sometime to built.How could anyone miss the construction going on around here."

The bushes rustle and out stepped Second Lieutenant Oster Liter and Second Lieutenant Vester Ahern arrived together, both puffing softly and sweating from their half a klick walk through the forest, and both saluted half heartily before taking an empty spot beside the map.

Liter spoke first." We've spotted several helos, a large number of tanks and supply vehicles, mobile suits, trasnports, IFV, APCs and enough heavy artillery in place to achieve maximum elevation against an airstrike or airborne assault."

Ahern nodded and added." They've got reinforce concrete pillboxers in pairs covering the bases outer perimeter, eight in all.Two on each side of the main rode directly ahead, as well as four SAM missile batteries in place, two radar dishes.The only good news is they seem to have a light patrol active."

Misha grunted." Makes you wonder how Intel could have possibly this base."

Phollia looked down at the top of Misha head." Exacty what I would like to know as well._'How could Aragon have missed this base, no that' impossible the Vegnet remote cameras system is state-of-the-art, there's no way he could have missed this base, and that cold feeling earlier, what was that.It had the cold feeling of death wrapped around it_.

" So." Mitsuba began, voicing the mood of everyone around the map." Do we abort and if not how do we go about this." Four pairs of eye turned to face Phollia, awaiting her next command.Somehow, against impossible odds, she had gotten them all the way here undetected.What other tricks did she have up her sleeve.

After an appropriate pause, Phollia folded her arms acrsoss her breast; she had gathered all of the releveant data and the final pieces of a plan began coming together perfectly in her mind and she began." Like always, we'll be outnumbered.Add to that surprise will be minimal, since the Guild are no doubt at full alert after what we did at the Vesti river.And best part of all, this new base, constructed in the center of a four-way lane, is surrounded in all directions by low grassy fields, with no place to hide for as far as five kilometers."

Below Phollia, Misha murmurd." They'll see us coming, like from forever."

Pholle dropped on her left knee and using her right index finger, trace a red contour line." Which is exactly why a sneak attack won't work and why we won't bother with one."

" You have an attack plan?" Misha asked.

Phollia nodded, and began outlining her plan over a period of five minutes.She concluded." With any luck we'll have this battle wrapped up in twenty to thirty minutes and be long gone before reinforcements can arrive."

The group was silent as they took in the plan and each man or woman in their own mind rethink the strategy behind it.Ahern glanced at Mitsuba, who spoke." We seperate our platoon into four two mobile suit units and one three mobile suit platoon and attack from five positions, with each platoon moving forward at thirty seconds intervals. We can do that, but who's the lucky pilot that's going to face the base's entire defense force for the first thirty seconds."

" Are you volunteering Lieutenant." Phollia asked. Mitsuba blushed and looked away." Thought not.Its my plan, so I'll do it and I have more experience in these types of operations. You have your orders.Pair up your platoons and pass on the plan.Its 0645 hours, synchronize your watches and move into position.I move forward at exactly 0654 hours and I expect the three suit platoon to move out thirty-seconds after me."

There was a chorus of ' yes ma'am as the group, rosed and scattered to their own mobile suits, some as far away as a kilometer distant.

Phollia wonderd if there was any more surprises out there that they had no idea about.If there were, things could get ugly very quickly.She resolved to abandone their mission to destroy Azah base once this operation had concluded, personally she would have loved to destroy or even cripple one of the Guild's major forward supply and logistical post for their main attacking forces, but twelve mobile suits without support was already taking a huge risk and all the element of surprise would be gone in a matter of minutes.Then there was that uneasy feeling that something was amiss and for the darnest she couldn't put a finger on what it was.

Phollia shook her mind clear an climbed up the leg of her kneeling Grave and slipped into the cockpit.She hesitated for a second behind the controls, wondering if she should wait until nightfall before initiating the attack, but quickly brushed the thought away.It was a only a matter of time before the Guild Army restructure their forces to compensate for the loss of their battalion at Anman and the Vesti river and effectively cutting their escape route, not to mention Delta Company would only remain in position outside Vodina for another four hours, time as it stands was against them.

She adjusted the black fingerless leather gloves on her hands and brought her Grave from standby to full combat status.Red lights on the upper right HUD indicated how heavily loaded her MS was; a 310mm bazooka on its right shoulder armor hardpoint, clenched in its right hand, a 100mm machinegun in its left hand, another one on its right waist armor rack, a 'Closer' missile launcher on each leg hardpoint and the heat rapier on its waist storage rack and two red and white painted grenades dangle from the waist, was more than pushing her Graves' load capacity.

' _This_,' thought Phollia, her mind calculating strategies, ammo supplies for the upcoming battle.' _could get ugly very fast_.' The mobile suit move forward several dozen meters, then spun to the left and continued forward for another dozen meters, before her radio suddenly beeped with an incoming transmission on the teams net." Report."

" Black One, Red Four here.Three mobile suit units incoming on your position, one Lupus S and two D-types, also picked up a column of twelve cargo trucks entering Camp One a minute ago from the northeast, sir."

" Roger that, Red Four," responded Phollia to Ahern transmission, her eyes wondering to her main camera." Keep an eye on the suits and continue with the plan." Misha's three suit platoon and Mitsuba two suit platoon were still deep in the forest and moving forward, she would need those five suits in position before any action could be taken.

Her Grave had already reached its position by the time the transmission had ended, ten meters short of the tree line.The three enemy mobile suits were still six hundred meters out, well within firing range of her 310mm bazooka, and moving closer at a slow and unsteady pace.The cameras locked on the Lupus S in the rear, command antenna on the left side of its head denoting its status as a squad leader.This was going to be easy, popping three suits before the real battle began was as close as a warm up as any, especially three suits that could endanger them any moment now.

The lead Lupus D stopped suddenly and brought its right hand holding a 76mm heavy machinegun up, a shield held in its left.It took Phollia immense patience not to pop that Lupus D for its sudden rapid movements.This suit pilot's was scanning the area ahead, no doubt in Phollia mind using the heavy machinegun built in camera sight.It snapped the heavy machinegun barrel southwest, mono-eye turret scanning left to right and back again.Then it turn to face the Lupus S for a few seconds and the lead Lupus D pointed to something to the southwest.

" Black One, Blue Two here.We're in position," came Mitsuba voice over the units frequency.

" Roger, keep an eye on that Lupus D, he's yours once Green Three get's into position," replied Phollia, switching to Green Three frequency." What's the hold-up Sergeant."

" Thirty seconds Lieutenant," Misha responded almsot immediately.

Phollia switch to the team net." Roger, Green Three, second Lupus D is yours.To all units if lead units fail to kill there targets on the first try, priority of targets falls to the wingman.Twenty seconds people, keep your eyes on the prize."

Phollia snapped her mono-eye back to the Lupus S type as the three suits converse among themselves.' Now what exactly are you talking about. I wonder," She shifted her main camera to the Guild base three kilometers ahead, her tongue licking her upper lip in anticipation and then back to the Lupus S, even as her Grave right arm began shouldering the 310mm bazooka to it firing position, its barrel pointed directly at the Lupus S torso.It was already 0653 hours, and in a few short seconds Alpha Company would bring the flames of war on their enemies, starting with those three unlucky mobile suits before her.

l

" There it is again," the Sergeant in the lead Lupus D who was placed at point;against his better judgement, told the 4th Platoon CO, a young Lieutenant, fresh from the academy.The Sergeant mentally swear on their first encounter he could smell the mint of his new CO.

" What's what exactly, Sergeant?"

" I saw movement, followed by a flash from those trees ahead."

" Some kind of animal," the lieutenant snorted over the commm, not taking the time to turn his Lupus S mono-eye in the the directon the sergeant 76mm heavy machinegun barrel was pointing to look.

" But Lieutenant!" The officer turned at the sharp tone to see the sergeant's Lupus D waving its shield in mid-air.He stared at the main camera picture and across at the sergeant on his sub-monitor." How many animals have you seen around here since your arrival?"

" The wind moving the trees, then! Your Lupus D sensors are known for seeing things that are not there."

" Then why does it flash and disappear and flash again in a completely new area?"

The Lieutenant got visibly angry at the face on the sub-monitor." Sergeant, I know you've had four months of combat experience out here.I know that I am merely an officer.But I am a Goddamn officer and you are a goddam sergeant.Do you really think an enemy force could get this close to our base undetected."

_' The wonders of our fresh academy graduates_, the sergeant thought shifting his harden gazed between his officer on his sub-monitor and the forest trees on his main monitor.Few officers could bare his look for very long.

" Very well, sergeant.If you want to waste an additional five minutes of your time chasing flashes, then by all means do so.I in the other hand have an early...briefing," The Lieutenant flipped his radio switch to OFF, while his mind wonder to the young red-haired communication technician at battalion CP he had a rendevous with at 0710 hours.

The Sergeant had survive two life threatening engagements in the last four months since arriving with the 71st Motor-Rifle Battalion; that was nothing but a battalion in name now, and had three tanks and a IFV kills to his credits-- and had learned the virtue of caution the easy way.He'd already had his Lupus D shot up once already.He knew first hand that everything was not alway as it seem, but at the carefree attitude of this officer, he stopped his Lupus D in mid-stride and turned sharply 180-degrees to face the Lupus S as a flash emanate from within the trees at the edge of his main screen picture.

He stopped the Lupus D in the midst of completing its turn and felt a jarring crash followed by an explosion behind him, the vibration coursing through his twin controls.The sergeant eyes narrowed as it snappped at his sensors; nothing and his eyes flickered over the instruments panel, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he saw red lights blossom on the status diagram, and was even more shocked to find his Lupus D left arm holding the shield no longer there as dust rain down on his Lupus D shoulder armor.

" What the..."The sergeant continued turning towards the Lupus S and his eyes jaw dropped an inch, shocked even more, as a black object trailing wisps of smoke buried itself in the lieutenants' Lupus S torso, ripping the proud gray and green mobile suit along with its very green pilot in half in the explosion.The sergeant spun his Lupus D around, catching sight of the burning wreckages of the young private Lupus D as he turned to face the trees, trying to identify targets, the shock of the enemies precision attack outside his visual sensors was long in lingering in the back of his head and the fact he was now completely alone and in the open, was slow to disperse.

Then his own trip to the void that was eternal darkness arrived, as a yellow and green mobile suit his computer fail to identified burst out from the trees and headed straight for him, drawing his full attention towards it.The 310mm bazooka round that blew the sergeant apart came from a different location from this unknown suit, the shell bursting the torso wide open like a melon, the shrapnels ripping into the cockpit and rendering the sergeant into a bloody pulp before he knew what had happen.

l

" Not perfect, but good enough," Phollia said with satisfaction as she noted that all three Guild mobile suits had been killed within a ten second period.Phase One part one had worked beautifully, but it was only the beginning and they still had a ways to go.

Phollia pushed her Grave to full grown speed, activating its thrusters and pushing her ahead much faster than the 200 kph maximum ground speed limit for bipedal mobile suits, while she brought her two 'Closer' missile launchers online and adjusted the 310mmm bazooka's massive muzzle directly ahead.

Twenty seconds after leaving the cover of the forest trees, eight red blips appeared on Phollias' tactical display, along with two crimsom red pyramid shape structural icons that denoted the concrete pillboxers.The computer quickly identified the blips as six Series 61 MBT and two TDV-121C assault tanks on each side of the pillboxers.Phollia chuckle softly at the Guild speed at deployment, they had to know an attack was on the way, no doubt from the cloud of black smoke raising from the burning wreckages of the three MS; it was a warning as any that the enemy had arrived.The six tanks swivel there turrets and moved forward in pairs, while the two AT adjusted there missile launchers and 80mm anti-aircraft cannons and remain stationary in the back.

With a smirk and a snickered, Phollia level her bazooka and fired once at the left AT from a distance of 2000 meters, followed immediately by another shot at the center tank from 1500 hundred meters without missing a stride as she closed in at full speed.The 310mm shells struck seconds apart, the AT taking a hit in the lower torso, near its caterpillar threads engulfing the mobile suit/tank hybrid in a huge shower of sparks, flames and black smoke.The solid sheet of flames that combust straight upwards as its ammunition and unused missiles inside there launchers exploded was a beautiful sight to Phollia as her Grave rotated its mono-eye a fraction of an inch to settle on the burning tank that too was exploding from within, before settling on the second AT.

When she had the second AT dead to rights, Phollia saw the five MBT main cannons beginning to flash in rapid succession.They were, Phollia mused, no real threat for another 300 meters.She was about to pop the second AT when, to her annoyance the Guild mobile suit/tank hybrid jerked suddenly and was bathed in a shower of sparks, flames, and then began to spew black smoke.

Phollia frowned as a sudden feeling of disappointment swept over her because she had missed adding a fourth AT into her already impressive kill record.That feeling was quickly pushed aside when her computer began screeching its threat warnings; the tanks had gotten into range.

The two lead tanks main guns flash in the distance and both shells screamed pass, half a meter above the Grave's knee joints.Wasting no time, Phollia kicked on the Graves' thrusters and leapt into the air, out of the tanks main guns reach.Leveling the left hand 100mm machinegun barrel down from a hundred meter altitude, the 100mm machinegun of Phollias' Grave roared like a chainsaw.The mobile suit tremble in mid-air even as the computer compensated for the altitude and recoil of its handheld weapon.Lines of tracers zipped their way across the empty space to riddle the thinly armored tops of the Guild Series 61 MBT with destruction.Two tanks exploded in the blink of an eye, two more followed seconds behind those.While her 100mm machinegun tore one tank after another apart, Phollia chuckle in amusement, this was easier than spearing fish in a barrel.

The 100mm machinegun ceased firing as the fifth and final tank burst into flames, Phollia sighted the two pillboxers as the base continued screaming its alert.Phollia snapped her mono-eye at the base, the main camera picture showing two dozens and then some Series 61 MBT moving forward through-out the base, even as AA tracers begin cutting through the air, tracking in on her position, followed by a SAM blasting off into the sky.Phollia evaluated the picture on her main camera quickly.There had to be a battalion worth of tanks down there, with assault vehicles and a mobile suit company.

' _One more thing to do_," Phollia told herself.Taking careful aim as tracers raked her Grave lower torso in mid-air; the 20mm and 40mm AA rounds doing little to no apparent damage.Phollia used the Grave mono-eye infrared sensors to put an infrared laser 'spot' on one of the concrete pillboxers and salvoed three ' Closer ' missiles at the target, and the final three as soon as she had a laser 'spot' on the second and ejected the empty launchers in mid-air, as the Grave descended to the ground with a crash.A SAM exploding over her former position in a shower of shrapnel meant for lightly armored aircrafts.

Seconds later, the pair of concrete pillboxers were destroyed as the missiles rain down on their targets, bricked sized chunks of ferroconcrete scattered on the surrounding landscape from the three homing missiles impact.

Non of this Phollia saw; or more importantly paid attention to, the ERS-06B Grave at her command fired up its thrusters and shot itself forward towards the pair of pillboxers at the eastern end of the base's outer perimeter, blowing apart a pair of Series 61 that seemingly popped out of nowhere on her way towards her next set of targets.

l

Inside her Graves' cockpit, Mistuba watched through her main camera as the thruster flares of Captain Icina Phollia Grave vanish around the base to the east, out of sight.Ten meters behind and fifty meters to Mitsuba Grave left, another Grave rosed to its full height at the command of Private Valmos Saint Qut.The six missiles inside there launchers mounted on its legs flashed simulthaneously, one by one the missiles spit outward towards the Guild base, followed in closely by Mitsubas' own missiles.

Mitsuba watched the twelve fast moving smoke trails and smiled as one by one they rained down inside and outside the bases' perimeter.A dozen missiles joined them, fired by Misha's three-man platoon three thousand meters to her left, three distinctive secondary explosions ripple across the base.Those were hard hits.The huge fireball could only main a large supply of fuel or ammo had been hit.Mitsuba and her wingman on tails of fire rocket their Graves into the air from the trees, touching down a hundred meters ahead, there thrusters powering down after that single jump and began advancing forward at maximum ground speed, but at a slower pace than their Captain.

Two minutes later and half a kilometer from the bases' outer perimeter, Mitsuba began to see movements.Six Guild helicopters rosed from deep within the base and headed toward the base's western perimeter, but Misha and his two wingman engage them with 100mm machineguns, exploding three and leaving a fourth trailing black smoke before they could engage with their HEAP rockets.Guild artillery began pounding the clearing to the west, forcing Misha and his wingman to scatter.Then a company of tanks appeared.

" Blue Three, tanks ahead. Prepare to engage, but hold your fire," ordered Mitsuba to Qut over the radio.

The leading Guild tanks were four hundred meters outside the base, racing down the road towards Misha's locations, oblvious to Mitsuba and her wingman as they moved forward, unnoticed.Mitsuba skidded her Grave to a full stop and gave the order to engage as she fired a volley of 100mm machinegun rounds at the moving tanks flanks.

" Yes, ma'am." the second Grave added its own volley into the fray at once towards the column of tanks.The combine volley hit and destroyed three tanks.

' Antennas, antennas,' Mitsuba muttered, snapping her Grave's mono-eye to and fro among the exploding tanks as they scattered." There's one."The range finder popped up 420 meters in small red numbers.The 310mm bazooka barrel snapped up and fired, Mitsuba watched the rocket arc on its flight path through the air on a collision course..." Got him."

The second combine volley from the 100mm machinegun killed two more tanks, then the others began to exploded from 310mmm bazooka rounds fired from the forest from two kilometers out.With the first defense units dealt with, Mitsuba move her Grave forward again, getting closer and closer to the base.Strapped into the cockpit seat, she could feel her heart beat faster and faster, more violently.

An explosion tore the soil apart to her left, kicking up a cloud of dust and smoke, the enemies artillery spotters had seen them and were directing artillery fire towards the two mobile suits, Mistsuba took a moment to realized she had now arrived within range of the base guns.Her main camera tracked half a dozen tracked vehicles laying in wait.

Almost immediately their twelve tube missile launchers began popping out missiles after missiles in her direction; in a low minovsky particle permeated environment they were nothing but fast moving unguided rockets, easily avoided if timed right.Her Grave increased its speed from 120 kph to 160 kph as her 100mm machinegun elevated and began spitting 100mm API tracers.It was time to punch a wide hole in the bases' perimeter for Sergeant Duparc and his wingman to exploit .

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At the door leading to the command post that served as the immediate HQ for the 163rd Guards Regiment, 47th Motor-Rifle Division.Lieutenant-Colonel Adek Lonel was conversing with a Captain of the supply troops when the news of an attack reached his ears, he was even more shocked when less than a minute later, missiles began raining down on the base.At the corner of his eyes as he hit the ground on instinct, he saw the Captain he was talking to moments ago, run to his twelve large cargo trucks and vanish into his armored command vehicle and began barking orders to the driver.

Two missiles fell within a meter of his vehicle and exploded on impacting the ground.Their shrapnel slicing through the light armor of the command vehicle, killing the captain and everyone inside instantly even before the its fuel tank exploded, adding another fireball to a sky that suddenly was raining with them.

Shocked by the death of the captain he had been talking to less than twenty-seconds ago, but even more angered that those twelve large cargo trucks now overloaded with supplies would never reached elements of the 42nd Motor-Rifle Division currently engage with a division of Deikumain troops less than four hundred kilometers to the northwest, near the coast.Outnumbered and clearly outgun, that single Deikumia division was putting up a fierce fight.Reports of scattered Deikumia units joining up with them and bolstering their fighting strength was having a huge impact on the 42nd MRD. The end result was forcing the 42nd MRD into burning much needed ammo, parts and fuel needed for the operation at Fort Bolus.Fresh supplies was the only thing keeping the 42nd MRD on the offensive, and with the alternate supply route at the Vesti river now cut off, the 42nd MRD was in need of fresh supplies daily; even now two-hundred and fifty thousand tons in supplies was expected to pass through this very base in the next twelve hours on their way to the 42nd MRD operating area, supplies that could make or break them.

His earlier fears to Colonel Laden, his Regimental commander was now being realized.Lonel had known it was a stupid decision to strip away one of his Motor-Rifle Battalion and send it to recapture the Vesti river and Anman in order to re-open those supplie routes, not when the 161st Guards Regiment had lost an entire battalion in that same area only yesterday, and now the danger of an attack against this base was being realized.Lonel had known it would come.Laden had to suspect it would as well.

Too emphasize that fact, Lonel turned to watch two batteries of rocket launch vehicles get riddle apart by high calibre machinegun fire, their killer emerging form the smoke and fire and flying shrapnels.A completely new type of mobile suit he had never seen before; was it these mobile suits that had destroyed the battalion at the Vesti river, the mobile suit began walking slowly out of the firestorm, crashing one of the wreck rocket launch vehicles it had only just destroy with its left feet, its mono-eye snapping to and fro, scanning for additional targets.

Lonel wondered what had happen to the tank company that had move off in that direction earlier, while the mobile suit swing its massive machinegun forward and stitched a line of tracers between itself and a pair of tanks that suddenly emerge from behind a large burning cargo truck.The tanks buckle and heave before they exploded from being riddle with API rounds, their gunners never having a chance to fire off a shot.

Lonel scramble to his feet and run for the door of the CP, leaving one foot inside, eyeballing the unknown mobile suit in the distance.The question of how the enemy had gotten so close to the base undetected was not as important as to why the defending force was unable to force the enemy back.He watched the pair of Lupus J-Types guarding the CP stepped forward and fired wildly at the mobile suit with there 76mm heavy machineguns, the mobile suit simply side-stepped the tracers and leapt clear and out of sight, the pair of Lupus J giving chase.

In front of Lonel an empty truck belonging to a twelve cargo truck column that only just arrived and on its way to Azah base to replenish its supplies burst into flames, drawing his full attention to it.Behind it another medium size truck from the same column skidded to a stop, unable to advance or reverse, in the rear of the truck, the canvas sides rolled up, revealing the Guild soldiers inside, crouching behind the thin sides of the trucks' cargo bed.These soldiers began firing wildly ahead at a second mobile suit that suddenly appeared.Though their aim was well and tru, they might as well have been throwing rocks at the mobile suit for all the damage the 5.56mm rounds inflicted on the mobile suits' thick armor.Behind them a soldier was aiming a portable anti-tank guided missile, while a second soldier knelt by with a second missile.

Lonel watched the white gas gush out from the exhaust end of the launcher and watched the guided missile ignited its own rocket motor several dozen yards away from the two men and watch the missile plowed into the the mobile suit, directly into the upper torso area.Lonel saw a bright flash and he stared at the mobile suit and his face went pale as the blood drain from it, the mobile suit remain undamage and its shoulder mounted weapon's barrel level down at the men and its rear exhaust vents puff a lethal black smoke and a black object spit out of its massive muzzle, the soldiers had seen it too and got up to run away.To late.

The bazooka shell struck the truck through its forward window, shattering it as it plowed forward, the impact lifting the vehicle up in the following explosion, sending sharpnel cutting through the soldiers as they desperately run to get away.Lonel only felt his hands raising to protect himself and a light sensation of weightlessness and of being pushed backwards, he blew through the half open door of the Command Post.There laying down bleeding and unable to get up or even call for help, Lonel could only watch as one of the Lupus J took a hit in the shoulder armor, and then the chest, the Lupus J collasped backwards, then his sight vanish and he could only hear the sounds of high calibre machinegun fire and mobile suits steps thundering by, punctuated by screams of pain, cries for help and every now and then a random explosion that shook the ground under him.

l

Sergeant Misha ignored the short falling rounds smacking around his Grave's feet, made deadlier by the speed of his Grave running forward at maximum ground speed.Instead he threw away the empty 310mm bazooka to the ground;making a mental note where it skidded to a stop and brought up the 100mm machinegun and prepared to fire.Stretching the right hand now holding the 100mm machinegun forward, Misha locked his mono-eye on three Vosgoves reversing for cover behind a smoldering MS hanger near the gate of the inner secure area and open fire, seeing his first two burst of six-rounds fly over his target to impact the damage hanger itself, he silently cursed the effect of minovsky particles in modern warfare, adjusted his aim and fired again.This time he was on target sending the center IFV ablazed and causing the driver of the Vosgove in front of it to hit the breaks, lest he slam into the burning wreckages.With slight correction, Misha caught the IFV with a single round.The explosion blowing a hole in the hangers' metal sheets and bending one of its support beams.

Absorbed by his own engagement of the final Vosgove, Misha failed to noticed that a 76mm heavy machinegun barrel inside the burning hanger; where his target had been retreating, was now tracking in on his wingman, Private Novem Kaines' Grave.It wasn't until the barrel flash and Kaine's Grave took a dozen hits on its torso armor, it pilot struck and the Grave out of control, made a sudden twist to the left and went crashing face first into the the barbed wire fence that Misha realized what was happening.Several dozen meters to his left, Mitsuba's 100mm machinegun cut loose at full burn, riddling the hanger with 100mm API rounds in an act of revenge, Misha quickly added his own fire to the hanger until an explosion from within blew the metal sheet walls apart and the hanger collapse in on itself.

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In avenging Private Novem Kaines, Mitsuba lost track of a tank she had been closing in on moments earlier.That simple mistake nearly cost her, her mobile suit as the ground burst open, sending dirt and rocks across the lower half of the Graves' ankle thrusters.The mono-eye turret shifted to the tank and the targeting systems confirmed a lock.Mitsuba never had a chance to pull the trigger, as a 310mm rocket from Duparc Grave announced his pressence in the vicinity, turning the Guilds MBT into burning metal fragments.

As Mitsuba slowly came to grasp with Private Kaine's death and the near lost of her Grave's mobility, Duparc skidded his Grave next to hers and placed a hand on its shoulder armor." You ok Lieutenant."

" I'm fine Sergeant, don't worry about me, proceed with the operation.I'll get my pound of flesh soon enough.Remember what are orders are, eridicate any and everything inside this base," Mitsuba barked, her orders clear.

Without a reply Duparc withdrew his Grave's hand and moved forward to join his wingman currently engage with a tank platoon.The four tanks formed up in pairs, two in front and two in the rear and raced forward.The pair of MBTs in the front never got a chance to move more than a few dozen meters, as a pair of 310mm bazooka rounds from two new arriving Graves burst on the scene, turning both tanks into scrap metal.

Mitsuba turned her Grave swiftly to the new arrivals and open a comm, praying minovsky particles was low enough to allow a laser communication." Sergeant Arianna and Private Histle, your late." There was no reply as the two Graves raced pass her at top speed.The pair of MBTs in the rear, now out numbered began retreating, but never made it far as both erupted into flames as they took a single 310mm bazooak round in their main turret, their attackers seperating the moment they reached the center of the secure area and began pumping a mixture of 310mm bazooka, 100mm API and HEAP rounds into the mobile suit hangers, bunkers, radar installations, support building and everything else that remain standing, the only thing they took pains to avoid was the white painted building with a giant red-cross painted on all four of its side.

Beyond them, Sergeant Dium 'DD' Dovock and Private Ashania Lafina 'Closer' missiles plowed into a mobile radar on the far side of the base, before turning their 100mm machineguns on a Lupus B that was missing its left arm, 100mm API and APFSDS rounds riddling the mobile suit across its torso, its armor giving out to the barrage.Like the perfect team-mates, they raked their targets together, where their barrels flashed, something exploded or became cripple.

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A MBT 120mm HEAT round spat beneath Phollias' Grave legs as she leapt over the tank round and close in on it, a slash with her heat rapier sliced the main gun cleanly off and she thrust the super heated blade into its frontal armor and into the tank itself, roasting the three man crew inside with the immense heat, before they could pop the hatch and escape.The Grave thrusters flared brightly to life, catapulting the mobile suit back and away from its prey just before the tanks ammunition compartmnent exploded, turning the tank into a flaming wreckage.

Phollia dropped her Grave to the ground and skidded to a stop a hundred meters from her kill and snapped her mono-eye around, surveying the battlefield on her main camera picture and at the same time searching for targets.The devestation to the Guild base was awesome in her eyes.More than half of the buildings were already destroyed, with fifty or more armored vehicles strewn about, dismembered, twisted and burning hulks of their former self.

For a moment there was almost total silence in the base around her position.It was a dull, numb silence that comes after you have endured prolonged exposure to a deafening noise for far to long.The crackling and popping of ammunition igniting in the burning Guild tracks with an occasional rumble as a main gun round cooked off, was all the noise that came through her external speakers.The base' entire mechanized-rifle battalion had nearly been annililated, only a few scatter pockets of resistence was left and most of those were mobile suits and tanks.

The sound of high calibre machinegun fire from the far right alerted Phollia to the fact that the Guild mobile suit teams were finally making their move forward.Her mind clear of worry and doubt, Phollia felt the disturbance of the approaching mobile suits as a mental pressure, the Grave at her command shouldered the reloaded 310mm bazooka and she closed her eyes and waited.

_**'Now'**_

The words did not come out as a sound, but as a mental link she had somehow manage to develope with her Neural Limiter months ago; being of an organic nature, made up of her own skin tissue, blood cells and nanomachines, but yet still a computer chip capable of processing and storing vast amounts of information, millions of times more than the older generation silicon base MEMS.The organic interface or MEMS develope to properly interface with her Gundam, allowing her to properly pilot the machine at a level not possible without a direct mental link to its control systems.But somehow her MEMS had develope a sort of mental link with her brain all on its own.When it talk she obeyed.Without hesitation she catapult the Grave skywards as a line of 76mm tracers and 380mm bazooka rounds lashed under her former position.Phollia open her eyes in mid-air and level out her Grave at two hundred feet and fired all five 310mm bazooka rounds in mid-air at five seperate targets mentally locked in her mind and not on her main cameras or sensors.She watched as all five projectiles streak towards there targets with uncanny accuracy.

The multiple explosions ripple below, followed by secondary explosions as the two Lupus Ds and three Lupus Bs fuel and ammunition cooked off.Even before the fifth mobile suit had exploded, Phollia had release her 310mm bazooka to fall to the ground and unlatched the 100mm machinegun, even as two Lupus Ds tracked her in mid-air and pointed their 76mm machinegun upwards to take down the mobile suit that had destroyed five of their number in less than five-seconds.

The 100mm machinegun barrel level downward and fired a long barrage, shaking the mobile suit in mid-air as its primary handheld weapon fired at automatic-mode.Lines of tracer fire stitched their way across the empty void that seperated the three suits and riddle the two Lupus Ds below apart with API rounds.While the 100mm machinegun tracers tore the mobile suits apart, Phollia launched a single flare into the early morning sky, a warning to Alpha Company to stop what ever they were doing and prepared to withdraw; she hope they took notice as she stopped firing after expending fifty-two rounds and landed the Grave with a shudder.The left hand pull out one of the grenades, a massive thumb depressing the red painted top and she rolled the pineapple shape object on the ground followed by another in a seperate direction.

It took only a few seconds before the contained pressure within the grenades burst and she could see the great cloud of smoke billowing upwards.

Unlike conventional smoke, this was a plastic white phosphorus grenade which contained a mix of white phosphorus and butyl rubber.On a fuse timing, the grenades ruptured, exposing the white phosphorus to air, which cause it to burn.The butyl rubber, mixed with the phosphorus began to burn and flake off.Floating up and away from the ruptured grenade, these flakes of burning rubber created a curtain of heat that defeated thermal sights, negate the used of IR spectrum target acquisition by masking the Graves heat signature ( which were already registering several hundred degrees now).Phollia watched the clouds of heated smoke drifted about in the opening between her position and the direction of Azah base.

Over a dozen other identical heated plumes of smoke drifting around the various locations around Camp One confirmed that Alpha Company had heeded the call to withdraw and were doing so.Phollia Grave turned around to face northward and took off running at full speed, she counted the mobile suits as they exit the base and headed for the forest and came up one short, it was a loss lesser than she had thought it would have been as her Grave disappeared into the trees, the smoke and fire from the burning Guild base, added with the plastic phosphorus grenade concealing them from prying eyes.

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_**Trifecta Isles**_

General Stromal Ren Bergove pace back and forth in front of the communication monitor, he had been up all night awaiting the report from the Dark Raider Team, but the satellite message which he receive was not what he was expecting.The mission had been rush, but all precaution had been taken into account, the best team for the job had been selected and the area had been carefully studied.So how was it that ten of the most highly trained soldiers of the Guild government could possible have fail in a simple operation.

The communcation monitor beep on schedule has he had expected and Bergove turn to face the angry glare on the screen, the Supreme Commander immediately snapped." How could this happen."

" Unknown sir. We're still evaluating the situation.We'll know more in a few hours." Bergove replied immediately under a bead of sweat.

" Ten of my Strykers dead, and not a single gain. This is unacceptable Bergove."

" You want us to try again.The El Nino hasn't move, we can send in a better prepared team with mobile suits-

Avator held up his palm cutting Bergove off. " To many of my people have died already chasing this LFA unit.Its like they have mother luck watching their back.I won't have any more of my people wasting their time on them.Beside I've given Colonel Orsini an Excutive Order as of ten minutes ago.He now has the authority to use whatever means at his disposal to eradicate that LFA unit and not to return until its done.Except the use of any ESF assets."

Bergove sighed inside.At least he wasn't getting the hammer." I understand sir. What do you want me to do."

" Get your people ready for Vanguard. I'll notify you if I need your services again.Avator out."

Bergove stared at the blank screen, his mind contemplating the loss of ten of his soldiers, men he had personally hand-picked, watched over and trained.Now Orsini had the mission to get revenge for the death of his people, while he trusted the Colonel as much as he trusted any ESF officer, he thought like any other commander, that he could do a better job of destroying those LFA units if given the chance.Adrenaline pumps through Bergove's veins.His mustache twitches into an all knowing smile.

Bergove taps the communication screen for the on duty communications officer and the dark haired head of young man popped on screen seconds later." Listen to me carefully, Sergeant.I want a HAT prep and ready to launch within the hour. I want this done quickly without a single record, do I make myself clear."

The young man nodded." Yessir. One HAT prep and ready to move out within the hour."

" Good. Contact me when its done." Bergove turned the monitor off and took a seat at his chair.The Supreme Commander had said Colonel Orsini didn't have access to any ESF assets, but he didn't say anything about having those assets go directly to the Colonel.Bergove wasn't sure if this was a good idea, a High Altitude Transport wasn't exactly a Miska class, but it carried twice the MS compliment and could also remain airborne for as long as its food and water supplies lasted.

If the El Nino ever lifts off, atleast now the Colonel has an aircraft to give chase, as for mobile suits.Orsini will have to get those on his own.The majority of the models at Trifecta, aren't suppose to exist for another two weeks at least.The question now is, can he pull this off, when ten Strykers could not. Bergove had his doubts, but there was nothing he could do about it now.

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_**Aboard the El Nino**_

Tabaro Wilisk stopped outside the door of the medical lab and takes a deep breathe before stepping forward, with a humm the door slides open, revealing an antiseptic-looking room.Blue tiles covers the walls, floor, and ceiling.Sophisticated monitors, equipment, and life support systems line both sides of the wall.Anchored to the floor and wall, are two beds, both occupied.One of the occupants is Kailyn, his shoulder and waist wrapped tightly with a bandage dressing, the other occupant the elite syber force soldier;captured alive,or recover as he was unconscious the entire trip to the medical lap, leg and head dripping blood the entire trip.Kailyn had really cracked open that guys' skull.

The former army medic of Kalaro Defence Force, Lieutenant Teven Atlen is busy stowing plastic bottles of pharmaceuticals into the metal cabinets.

Tabaro asks." How is he."

" Sedated, he'll be asleep for a few hours." The twenty-six year old lieutenant dropped to his knees placing more bottles in the lower cabinet." Had to remove three projectiles and he loss alot of blood.How he's still alive is a miracle in itself."

Tabaro swallowed a bile, dredding his next question." Any permanent damage.Will he still be able to pilot a mobile suit."

Atlen rose, closing the cabinet and turning to face Tabaro." Hard to say, he took a hit in right shoulder.That in itself is damaging enough to his right hand, but its to early to say right now."

" Damn it, we never expected something like this.A full attack maybe, but not a couple of assassins in the early morning hours."

" Any ideas how they came in."

" Submarine for sure, a very fast one at that. One of the LFA pilots picked up an underwater explosion not to far from the El Ninos landing area.Not sure if it was intentional or accidental, but for now we'll continue circling around thirty-five thousand feet.Turn this aircraft into an airborne radar platform for Ody base, while we decide what to do." Tabaro said breathless, he hated medical places, whether on land or in the air, they all smell the same and this place was no exception.

" That eliminates the threat of another ground attempt, but what about aircrafts.Especially those Guild fighters now station at Kalaro isles."

Tabaro shrugged." We'll deal with those things as they present themselves. What about the prisoner."

Atlen turned his head to the closer bed." Sedated as well.He's an elite special force commando, I'm not taking a chance of him escaping and finishing the job he started.I'll keep him sedated until you decide what to do with him."

Tabaro gawked, jaw dropping." Me, what do you mean until I decide what to do with him.Kailyn's my only concern, and he's out action and the crew knows it."

Atlen shrugged." Your the captain, everyone's counting on you to pull them true this."

Tabaro turned for the door." Maybe so, but Kailyn started all of this shit." Not looking back, he heads for the cockpit, where both Athan and Vicati stood overlooking the clear blue sky.The clouds topped out at twenty-two thousand feet and he made sure they were no less than ten thousand feet above those. If a Ra Lasper or any other fighter wanted a piece of them, they were going to have to work damn hard for it.

Another reason why he was keeping the El Nino within twenty kilometers of Ody base, not only to provide them with a better radar picture of the surrounding area, but to stay within range of its SAM. If Major Elfa was correct, his computer engineers and technicians had successfully manage to swap the guidance systems from the compliments of air-to-surface and air-to-air missiles they had traded for the supplies into three surface-to-air-missiles. After eight hours of work, Mokis island now had three advance SAMs with state-of-the-art infrared tracking system not previously found in their arsenal and more was expected over the next few hours.Tabaro figured, with twenty missiles traded, at least half of those could become SAM with a tracking range of sixty kilometers, without minovsky particle interferance.

Athan leaned against the captains chair as Tabaro took his seat. Wilisk still wasn't so sure about being the Captain of an ESF atmospheric attack carrier." What now, we just run around in circles, waiting for the Guild to blow us out of the sky."

" If you don't like it up here, you can always go down below," Tabaro snapped." I'm sure you'd be more useful down at Ody, compared to being a dick up here."

Athan wince visibly at the insults and put his hands up in a surrendering gesture." Look, I'm just thinking about whats best for everyone here."

" Really," Tabaro leaned over, looking Athan in the eyes." Did you go ask the crew aboard what's best for them or are you merely saying what you think is best for them."

Athan gritted his teeth, but said nothing.

" How's the Gizen (r) pilot doing." Vicati asked.

" He's asleep as far I was able to find out," Tabaro replied and turned to the radar operator." Anything on those sensors, Quatz."

The radar operator never turned her face away from the radar screen, but merely whispered." Nothing yet, sir."

" The ESF must know by now their infiltration teamed fail, so why haven't they attacked," Tabaro whispered.

" Sealing their grip on Kalaro Isles and waiting for reinforcements," Vicati answered, turning to face Tabaro." They keep chasing us where ever we go.Its only natural that they come after us here."

" Which means when they come, they'll really come," Tabaro nodded in agreement.

" Wouldn't it be better to draw them away from Mokis island, we know they'll come after us if we leave this area," Athan said, taking a step forward." Voska island isn't that far away from here.Two hours, less than three for sure, you could drop us off and be back here circling and waiting for the Guild to arrive."

" Your forgetting, we're airborne," Tabaro began, tapping the computer screen beside him and bringing up a map of Voska island." From a sea route approached its possible, but from the air, we'll have to cross Kazans airspace."

" So what. Your Kalaroian and we're LFA, once we identify ourselves, they'll let us through."

Tabaro chuckle and burst out laughing before catching himself, turning to face Athan." You really think thats going to happen, while we're flying a Guild aircraft. If they did something like that, they might as well say openly to the Guild that they're supporting the LFA. They have to stop this aircraft from entering their airspace no matter what or risk an all out war with the Guild."

" Then go around Kazan."

" While avoiding their navys' operating area, that's a twenty-four hour trip.One way," Tabaro said slowly." Which means we won't get back here for at least forty-eight hours."

Vicati turned towards the door leading to the crew quarters." I'm going to get some sleep.Wake me if anything develops."

" Be sure that we will," Tabaro said, turning to face the clear blue sky._'Voska island, its been almost seven years since I was there.I wonder how Admiral Ericania is doing with her marines, tucked safely away from the Guilds reached and not doing much of anything, while Velaz and the others continously fight the Guild in Lucan.General Malik T.Velaz, I wonder how the old chap is doing.'_

Tabaro turned the monitor off and slumped into the chair.'_ I'm not cut out for this shit. I'm a mobile suit repair-man, not a captain of a flying fortress. Kailyn, you'd better get well, real soon and real fast or else we're all going to die when the Guild come to Mokis island._'

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Mobile Suits and Aircrafts Stats:

Version (Model number): TMS-17A

Code name: Lupus Alpha

Manufacturer: TreVelera Corps

Operators:Guild Socialist Ministry

Crew: Pilot only, in canopy style cockpit in torso

Height: Head height 14.9 meters; overall height 15 meters

Weight: Fully loaded 61.5 metric ton; empty 47.5 metric tons

Armor: Titanium/ceramic composite

Powerplant: Type 1F minovsky ultra-compact fusion reactor; output rated at 1065 kW

Propulsion: 47900 kg

Performance: maximum acceleration 0.78 G, 180-degree turn time 2.5 seconds

Equipments and design features: Sensors, 2800 meters

Fixed armaments: none

Optional hand armaments: TMG-19 60mm heavy machinegun, clip-fed, 100 rounds per clip, spare clips on back waist armor rack, TSG-18/C 60mm Shotgun, ten-rounds in chamber, armor-penetrating and fragmentation rounds

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Version (Model number): TMS-17B

Code name: Lupus Beta

Manufacturer: TreVelera Corps

Operators:Guild Socialist Ministry, Lucan Freedom Alliance, Kalaro Defence Force

Crew: Pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso

Height: Head height 14.9 meters; overall height 14.9 meters

Weight: Fully loaded 53.7 metric ton; empty 41.4 metric tons

Armor: Titanium/ high ceramic composite

Powerplant: Type 2A minovsky ultra-compact fusion reactor; output rated 1305 kW

Propulsion: 49850 kg

Performance: maximum acceleration 0.93G; 180-degree turn time 2.2 seconds

Equipments and design features; sensors, 3600 meters

Fixed armament: none

Optional hand armament: TMG-20 76mm heavy machinegun, clip-fed, 42 rounds per clip, spare clips on waist armor rack, TSG-19/A 80mm shotgun, ten rounds in chamber, armor-penetrating and fragmentation rounds, TMR-B-46/B 380mm bazooka, clip-fed, five rounds per clip, spare clips on back waist armor rack, TLR-C-40/B 120mm cannon, clip-fed, 20 rounds per clip, spare clips on back waist armor rack.


	16. Chapter 15

**Mobile Suit Gundam: Vanguard Blitz**

**Chapter 15**

**_120,000 Kilometers from Planet Vasp_**

The planet _Vasp_ is the second planet located in the_ Vasper star-system_, a single odd shaped moon 3,750 km in diameter orbits the planet from a distance of 385,530 km.There were four space colony cylinders in geostationary orbit between the moon and the planet Vasp, three naval bases, and two naval shipyards, all of which once service the ships of Khimeran's Dark Nebula Fleet.

Once the furthest and most neglected military outpost of the Khimeran Space Forces, it quickly rose to become one of the main base of the KSF after the fall of the Andar system fourteen years earlier. Its facilities was never equiped to deal with the influx of heavily damage ships (civilians and military) that made their way to this once desolated star system and the result was more than half of the facilities became radoactive graveyards for decomissioned vessels.At any given time twenty warships are laid up, rotting inside the dockyards, waiting to be cannibalized or dismantle.Solid and liquid radioactive wastes from spent fuel assemblies are haphazardly stored, exposing unskilled, often inebriated labourers to high doses of radiation.Toxic refuse leaks into the air tight environment of the colonies or floats into space.Thousands of barrels of nuclear waste and tons of damaged minovsky fusion reactor components have been carelessly dumped onto the surface of the planet Vasp, making the once potentially habital world an environmental and radioactive disaster zone incapable of sustaining neither human, plant or animal life.

That was how Commander Deluez, CO of the Tsar-class Drednought, Zalieum wanted to remembered Vasp to be. A backwater outpost where refugees could hide away from the never ending war that had taken over three star systems. And not a varitable graveyard of destroyed ships, colony wreckages and a moon split in two, that could only have been done by a very powerful VSMPPBC equivalent to the Zalieum's 900cm VSMPPBC dual main cannon bult into its cone shap nose, not even the 6-2 barrel 600cm VSMPPBC secondary cannons had that much power.Even as he watched the holographic screen, a piece of the moon nearly 13 km in diameter was being pulled by the Vasp gravity well.

Deluez calculated that in a month or two, that moon would either be destroyed by the planet's atmosphere or crash somewhere, causing even more of a devastation.Deluez inhales slowly as he glanced up from his seated position beside his chair, where Lieutenant-Commander Breton stood, her eyes locked on the holographic screen in front of them, unmoving.Somewhere out there, they both knew, is a large Praetorian Emperial fleet, and this is what that fleet had done only days ago.The question they both wanted to ask, but would never likely find out was why way out here.There was nothing of strategic value in this system.

The forty-four-year-old commander ignores the temptation to offer a salute to the men and woman that has parish here, in what was clearly another bloody battle.No, a simple salute to these honorable souls would never erased the anger and frustration, he would give them restitution no matter how long it took.

Kley Deluez joined the Khimeran Space Forces when he was seventeen, following the footsteps of his father, Gordon Deleuz, who had captained one of the first Silage-class battleships; the mother of the Tsar-class Drednought, and his grandfather, Dimir, whose cruiser had been destroyed by a Praetorian mobile suit team during the battle in the Andar-star system, fifteen years ago.Over the last twenty years, the fourteenth-generation spacenoid has commanded a dozen missions and served on at least fifty others.

It takes a unique personality to become a spacenoid.The stress associated with living in the vacuum of space in a potential claustrophobic environment, the fear of knowing that even the smallest mechanical failure can turn the ship into a huge steel coffin--all of these factors place a special demand on the sailor's psyche.But man had adapted to the harshness of space, although it had taken almost a thousand years of space travel and genetic manipulation to do so.

Breton took a step forward, staring ahead of the arc shape bride at the ship operators below." Scan for life signs, SOS beacons, life-pods.Anything to tell us what exactly happen here."

" Its pointless." Deleuz continues staring at the holographic screen." Praetorians are very meticulous when it comes to survivors.We're not worthy of their Utopia; their paradise, so only death awaits people of our calibre."

As always, Breton ignores him completely." Launch a mobile suit squadron to scan the area for life signs.The last broadcast from this sector of space was ninety hours ago.Find me something."

Deluez shrugged, there was no point in talking sense to Breton when she was like this, he simply nodd to the ships' operations officer, Lieutenant Atiman Merican, before turning back to face Breton." Take a good look at the debris.This was a cleansing on a massive scale.They weren't here to capture, they were here to destroy.How many ships and mobile suits in the Dark Nebula Fleet."

Merican spoked." Fifty-three active warships of varies types and fifteen in reserves.Mobile suit compliment exceeds five thousand units, most were of the SMS-500 Vegiz series, with a few SMS-1000 Vegiz II series reported a few years ago."

Deluez turned away from Merican to face Breton." More than enough ships and mobile suits to keep a regular size Praetorian fleet at bay for several days.Maybe even weeks.But the Dark Nebula Fleet was attack and destroyed, along with everything else in less than seven days."

Merican hesitated a moment before adding." Sir, the Vasper star-system is also known to have a Hyper-Space Detection and Tracking Automated System. Its new, built only ten years ago"

Deluez and Breton made eye contact. An HSDTAS was for all intense purposes a long range GPS and radar.Whenever a ship gate-jump into a system equiped with a HSDTAS, it provide that ship with accurate data on its exact position and tracked that ship should it jump out again for as far as several light years." Contact the nearest remote outpost, find out how many ships came into this sector in the last...ten days and their last known position, its possible they may still be traveling through hyper space."

" Aye, sir," Merican replied, rushing to the nearest communication station.

" That could take hours," Breton said.

" There's nothing else we can do." Deleuz said, turning his head to stare at Communication Officer Ailan Storen, a strapping young man, with broad shoulders and baby face to go with his sandy blond hair serving as his direct link to ComKSF( Commander Khimeran Space Force)." Comm, contact ComKSF and send the message that we've arrived in the Vasper system, Dark Nebula Fleet has been destroyed with little chance of survivors and the enemy fleet is no where in sight."

" Yes, sir."

The bridge was silent for several intense minutes, as each crewman went about their normal task of monitoring their exact position in relation to the position of their escorting ship and the location of each individual warships squadrons of mobile suits on patrol; while mentally calculating what kind of force could wipe out the entire Dark Nebula Fleet in less than a week and still have time to retreat.With only six ships in their small task force, each and everyone had their doubts that the Zalieum would be able to hold its own against what was clearly an impossible odd.

Ensign Lynn Oliath was nearing the end of her work shift.As there was no days or nights in space.Twenty-four-hour clocks become eighteen-hour times frames, six-hour shifts alternating between work, sleep and training.Her mind was trouble at the sight before her, even as she stole quick glances at the wreckages of warships, civilians tranports and drifting bodies, and back to her radar screen looking for possible long-range detections as the Zalieums' powerful radar did a complete sweep of the area every 1.3 seconds.

With the high amount of minovsky waves, colony and metal fragments covering the entire area, it was no wonder at all that she picked up the contact.Instincts and years of training immediately took over, even as the radar began beeping with each sweep on the contacts." Commander, I've got multiple contacts bearing Indigo 30, Mark 10-Blue. ( Indigo -Forward, Blue-Up) Numbers nine contacts .Distance, sixty-two thousand-nine hundred-seventy-five meters and closing fast."

" Ensign, identify them," Breton commanded immediately, as she took her seat inside a capsule, beside Commander Deleuz chair and began strapping herself in." That's less than forty kilometers. Where did they come from and why are we only now detecting them."

" Stand by, sir." Oliath focuses on the screen as the computer match the thermal energy radiating from the contacts with information from the ships own library and came up with positive matches and her blood went cold as she read the contacts." Radar sensors intelligence cross-reference contacts as three Ester-class Frigates, three Rehen-class Destroyers, two Estren-class heavy-cruisers and a Kahal MS carrier."

Deleuz closes his eyes as his pulse quicken.Those were Praetorian warships, but only a few." Take us to battle stations, raise shields.Order the fleet into Delta Three formations."

Another radar operator yelled." Multiple contacts." There missiles, fifty, sixty, seventy plus incoming missiles.Half's targeting the Zalieum and halfs on the fleet. Range forty-two thousand meters and closing fast.Eighteen seconds to impact"

Deleuz swore." Calm down Ensign. We can handle a few missile hits, but the fleet can't." He turns to Breton as she finished strapping herself into place in the psycoframe capsule, instantly ready to mentally controll any one or all of the eight- 50 meter long V-wing shaped bits docked at the Drednought aft section, even as a dozen crewman rush into the bridge to take their battle stations positions, before turning to face what was before him." Launch B-type missile decoys, followed by a missile barrage at that Rehen-class Destroyer coming in at Mark 5-Blue, all the launchers.Get the mobile suit squardons ready, but keep them on stand-by."

Thirty B-type missiles decoys launched from the Zalieums multi-purpose launchers at full speed, along with ten others from each of the escorts, bringing the total to eighty B-type missiles decoys, and at a pre-porgramme distance, the missile automated balloon system expanded into a warship nearly identical in size and stature to the Zaliuem and its escorts, while giving similiar energy readings and continued on ahead, oblvious to what layed ahead of them.Within seconds the false warships attracted several dozen incoming missiles and moments later the space ahead of the bridge crew, lit up with multiple explosions and for the briefest of moments it was as if someone had switch on dozens of light bulbs in the darkness without end.Even before the explosions ahead had time to subside and the shockwaves whip across the fleet.The Zalieum multiple multi-purpose launchers across its body open up and fired a barrage of fifty missiles at a single Praetorian destroyer in the distance, even as the five escorts added their own barrage, increasing the total missiles to one hundred and twenty-five, but those were aimed at the entire Praetorian fleet itself.

Deluez sighed as he held tightly to the console as his ship lurches and buckles from the shockwaves beneath him." Report."

" No reported damage from the fleet. All enemy missiles have been successfully intercepted.Ship's own missile barrage is on course towards the enemy ship."

Deluez smirked, he had little hope of those missiles reaching their target, let alone doing any sort of real damage, but their sophisticated radar sensors had other use beside tracking in on their target like good little robots." Good, fire the main guns at that ship once its exact position has been confirmed.Don't wait for my orders."

Eight thousand meters ahead, the Zalieum's fifty ;Plyser' space missiles blazed ahead at a thousand meters a second.Onboard radars scanning, searching the space around the area of their target, the weapon's real-time computers sending highly processed data back to the Zalieum via infrared beams.

Multiple returns, but only one matched their targeted area.The missiles accelerated, scanning ahead.Thirty-three where intercepted before they could get in range, eleven others loss their target lock due to flying into a highly dense minosvky wave cloud, destroying their advance guidance electronic head and they flew blindly ahead, only to be intercepted by several ships CIWS ( Close-In-Weapon-System).

Only six missiles slammed nose first into the Rehen-class shielding, weakening its overall strength by 21 and jarring the crew inside the 310 meter long warship that resemble a giant Y from above.But none of that matter, as three very powerful and deathly accurate VSMPPBC beams configured for penetration.Punch through the shielding as if it never existed, destroying its forward 3-barrel main gun, its empty mobile suit hanger bay located in its lower center ( the mobile suits had long since launched) and its bridge, the three beams existing the ship through the other side.

An echoeless triple explosion from the hull crack opens the Rehen-class like an egg.A massive shudder ripple across the bow, the destroyer suddenly blanketed in suffocating darkness.Shouts, screams, and yell rise within above an insane choas of shearing metal and ripping bulkheads.Water, oxygen and flammable gas burst from unseen pipes.A shower of sparks illuminateds a gallery of ghostly faces from within, petrified, confused, their once victory seeking shattered minds screaming in the terror of one final, unified thought-_I'm going to die_--as death reached for them.

One lucky missile fired from the escorting force, suddenly change course towards the dying Rehen-class, its heat seeker head attracted to the sudden heat plume.It rushes through the Rehen-class with sonic speed, imploding the ship from within and into the airless void.

None of this Deleuz saw, to him the destruction of the of Rehen-class came as a bright flash of light among dozens of flashes of light in the distance and was only confirmed seconds later by one of the bridge sensor operators, but there was eight other warships out there, including two Estren-class heavy cruisers and when compared to a Rehen-class, they were far more dangerous, as they were built to take a pounding and thus there beam cannons output was reduced and there ranged dropped, the extra space that resulted from that was replaced by an active defense grid that reinforce its already enhanced hull engineering further, which allowed the Estren-class to take an immense amount of damage.Add that to its compliment of thirty mobile suits, it was truly a warship to contend with; had he been commanding any other vessel beside a Tsar-class Drednought.It was a shame he was, he had two Estren-class heavy cruisers ahead of him.Soon, very soon, their would be but one and then their would be nothing stopping him from destroying the deadliest target of them all, the Kahal-class MS carrier.

" Firing points over-ride procedures-- target the Kahal MS carrier ahead.Full load of 'Plyser' missiles.Followed seven seconds later by torpedos tubes one through eight.Target, those two Ester-class frigates moving to our portside." barked Deluez as he give direct orders to the entire task force at his command.If there was one thing he was absolutely sure about, was those escorts would protect that carrier, even if it meant ignoring threats against them and in battle, and anything that distracts the enemy, helps you.

" Sir, multiple heat sources. Mobile suits, enemy mobile suits converging from above.One hundred and twenty units.Classification; PES-400 series, they're Carcharadon Ds, Fs and Ms types, sir!!" the young operator turned away from her screen to face Deluez." Including several Carcharadon Commander Types and several units of unknown designs."

" New models, about time.Those so call great white shark models have been in use for thirty years now, their just as extinct as their namesake." Deluez turned back to his own holographic screen, receiving realtime data from the ongoing battle outside, so far damage to his fleet was minimum, but that could change any time." Fire missile barrage at that carrier and launch mobile suit squardons.Breton take out that Estren-class covering the carrier's starboard flank."

Commander Breton winked once in his direction and slapped on her helmet on, connecting the psycoframe capsules neural link with her own via her helmet." Release the bits and lets get this show-

Before she could finish her sentence, the ships' eight aft wings detached and their propulsion systems kicked in with a simple coarse mental command, driving the mechanical weapon up above the fleet and over the barrage of energy beams criss-crossing below and through a swarm of missiles on an intercept course with the Zalieum, towards her prey.

Diving and rising, twisting and turning.With each second, Breton fine-tunes her psycoframe until she can feel the bits as an extention of herself.The incredible sensation stimulates her neural link, increasing the connection between the Commander's mind and bit, bit and mind.

l

" Captain, radar, sir, you commanded we report on all ranged contacts."

" Proceed, operator."said Captain Xenitin Guerve, CO of the Estren-class heavy cruiser, Agenia.

" Hard to say, appears to be stealth aircrafts, I count eight in all, barely able to keep a track on sensors.Range, nine thousand meters, speed Mach-2.They're moving quickly through the debris field, erratic behavior and their heading straight in our direction."

" Acknowledge." The Praetorian skippr exhales his annoyance a bit to loud, then scratches the short black hairs of his beard in a feeble attempt to hide his frustration.Eight days ago, he had been stuck in the back in reserve when the Main Emperial Fleet had scorched this system in a matter of days, resistance had been strong, but ultimately futile against the might of the Empire's warships, mobile armors, and mobile suits.Never had he expected to be part of such a massive fleet sailing through the uncharted territories; he had miss his chance in the Andar system and had once thought that a massive space battle would never happen again, their enemy was falling back in all sectors and another large battle was nearing and impossibility with each passing day, but this battle had been huge and yet again he had sat back on the sidelines watching as his comrads claimed the glory of fulfilling the Empires goals.When the fleet had moved on, he had been force to remain.

His orders was simple, monitor the area for several days and if a fleet should arrived to investigate the area, destroy them before joining up with the main fleet on their way to their primary target.Who would have thought that after three days of waiting and doing nothing, an enemy fleet would arrive in this very system unannounce, giving him the rare opportunity to claim his own glory. The destruction of the Dequria with minutes of the battle was a shock, but they still out numbered the enemy fleet, in ships and mobile suits, even if it had a Tsar-class Drednought, destroying that Drednought would be a glory in itself.

" Launching fighters against an Estren-class cruiser, damn Khimeranians have really lost their minds. Destroy those stealth fighters and target all batteries at that Drednought."He stares at his arm chair console.Eight yellow dots appeared from above diving down on the Agenia and then they were gone." What happen."

The fire control officer to his right turned to face his CO, a look of desperation on his face."Their's nothing on sensors.Its like they just vanish into thin air."

" Well don't just stand there open mouthed, open fire all batteries, full spread and destroy them."

As the Agenia missiles and CIWS batteries began firing and open barrage, eight wing looking bits tips open, revealing a twin barrel.Small rocket and vernier thrusters drove the mechanical bits through the space, while sensor arrays mounted in their vertical fins process incoming transmission from the psycoframe capsule.

Passing two hundred meters over the Estren-class heavy cruiser, the bits suddenly disperse, swooping in on the Agenia from eight different angles--a choreographed, space ballet with tips spitting firework with uncanny accuracy.

l

With his mind aided by his neural link, Lieutenant-Colonel Bejen Cherenorb, CO of 11th Independent MS Squadron, maneuvers his SMS-1000S Vegiz II Command Type behind a badly damage Charcharadon F in the midst of retreating, he slammed his Vegiz II CT left feet against its backpack, between the wing binders.The 13.8 meter tall mobile suit was knocked off its previous heading for several seconds, giving Cherenorb all the time and the immense satisfaction of punching a hole through its backpacks left thruster with his high powered beam rifle.

Cherenorb veered away putting some distnace between himself and the now dying Charcharadon F, as he scanned for more targets even as the mobile suit below him tore itself apart in a brilliant explosion.There were dozens upon dozens of targets to choose from, some trading fire with the Zalieum's and its escorts mobile suit squadrons or the ship itself, none of those mobile suits weapons would have any effect on the Zalieum shields and its thirty assorted close-in-weapon system easily shredded a few that got to close into space debris.

Cutting his thrust suddenly, Cherenorb alter course towards a pair of Charcharadon Ds and blazed in at full thrust, neither feeling or aware of the 5.4Gs of acceleration pushed against his body.He fired a few carefully aimed mega particle beams at the lower left Charcharadon D.The mobile suit reacted almost as if the pilot had known the beams were coming, interposing its left forearm beam shield against the barrage and firing its own right hand beam rifle in return, while its wingman blazed down and came at Cherenord from below. Cherenord shifted to the left to avoid the beam barrage, while firing his beam rifle at the upper Charchardon D keeping it at bay, while he unlatched his backpack mounted beam launcher and gripping it with the Vegiz II CT left hand.He fired two X0B3A heat seeking missiles from the Vegiz II internal multi-purpose launcher in its right shoulder at the above Charcharadon D to keep the pilot distracted and shifted his aimed at the Charchardon D below suddenly.He fired several beam blast with his right hand, while tracking the enemy with his beam launcher held in the left.As the Praetorian pilot stopped to block the incoming beam blast with its left forearm beam shield, Cherenord heard the beep from the beam launcher, confirming a lock, Cherenord fired the beam launcher, the highy concentrated powerful beams blew the left arm of the Charcharadon D off completely, leaving the mobile suit without a beam shield on its right hand and Cherenorb added a barrage of mega particles from his beam rifle at the Charcharadon D before its pilot could used its right forearm beam shield.Highly charged particles slammed into the Charcharado D's lower left torso and upper left shoulder armor, and one final beam punched a hole into the center of its torso, instantly vaporizing its pilot.

Ahead and above him the second Charchardon D, recover from the blast of the twin heat seeking missiles against its beam shield.Enraged the pilot blazed in on him, while firing its beam rifle ahead.Cherenord released his beam launcher to return to it position on the Vegiz II CT backpack, snatched one of his beam saber from the recharge rack on the hip armor plates, the high-energy minosvky particles formed into a blade shaped I-field that quickly filled with super-heated minosvky particle plasma and Cherenord charge the mobile suit, while intercepting the incoming beam blasts with his own left forearm beam shield.

Swinging the saber across, the Charcharadon pilot blocked it with the beam shield and quickly reached for his own beam saber, but it had to released its beam rifle to do so as the left forearm beam shield was otherwise blocking each slash of Cherenorb beam saber's overhead slash.Cherenord fired a burst of his 60mm head mounted vulcan guns, forcing the pilot to instinctively react to the tracers.The Charcharadon pilot died raising its shield against a barrage of tracers that could never penetrate its gundarium/high ceramic composite armor as Cherenord's beam saber burned through the cockpit in an upward slash.Cherenord blazed away from the mobile suit before its minovsky fusion reactor went critical and exploding the mobile suit from within into another fireball.

He change course, in the middle of watching several explosions in distance on his main screen; _were they their's or ours_, following the Zalieum operator's commands he came upon to two Characharadon Fs breaching their second line of defense.Arming his beam launcher, Cherenord charge in quickly to dispatched these unlucky fools.

l

Another explosion rocks the Agenia as the last remaining engines of the Estren-class heavy cruiser is ripped apart by mega particle fired by the large bits stalking the warship.

Captain Guerve suddenly feels as helpess as a suffocating child trying to punch its way out of a plastic bag.His ships engines have been destroyed with almost-surgical precision, by an enemy the could only detect briefly.Twenty-three of his crew are dead, two dozens more injured.His mobile suit hanger was on fire, with power loss to both the main fire-suppression system and its own emergency back-up supply and to top it off, they were losing life-support system and very fast.The ship began to veer on its side, his maneuvering thrusters destroyed long ago, while the eight enemy fighters-no bits.Guerve had already concluded that those were remote operated bits, self powered mechanical machines control by a New-type using a pyscoframe.The Praetorian denounce the existence of new-types and imprison anyone who says otherwise, but behind the scenes experiments on new-types were conducted in total secret. But still, even with the possibility of life imprisonment for mentioning even a word of the existence of new-types, rumours still travel of humans who had evolved under the harsh invironment of space to become something akin to a psychic in battle, with the ability to control remote weapons from afar.

In the distance, still a good five hundred meters out, a momentary flash caught his attention as the ship shudder again, even as the alarms gived off their annoying screams.Guerve focus his attention in that area of space ahead of the bridge.Through the glass he sees a flash of light an a massive explosion in the distance.Following the blast a heavy pulse of structural vibrations shudder the Agenia, not unlike the explosion of the beam weapons impact.

" Radar, sir, the explosion...that was the Valir."

Guerve raised his eyebrows as the news of the Ester-class frigate destruction reached his ears, just as two large winged shape objected hovered in front of the bridge.There small manuevering thrusters flashing brightly and keeping them perfectly still.Guerve was trying to stand against his chair restraints as their tips glowed for a fraction of a second, before two huge sources of light reached out towards the bridge.

Captain Xenitin Guerve shuts his eyes closed--his life and his unfinish goals flashing by in one final heart-thumbing gasp as he, his bridge-crew, and his warship's bridge ignite into an incinerating fireball.

l

Deleuz leaned forward slightly in his chair, his eyes watching the remaining Praetorian fleet, while receiving and endless stream of reports both verbally and electronically.So far so good, the Praetorian were three ship down and he had yet to suffer a warship loss of his own, and the way things were going that could change very soon.

Deleuz turned to his weapons operators." You have those firing solution on those two remaining Rehen-class destroyers."

" My apologies commander, there's a cloud of minovsky particle waves directly ahead, sensors are unable to penetrate to get an accurate fixed on their exact position.Add that to the fact, both warships keep maneuvering."

" Then lets change angle.Helsman, drop her one thousand meter, twelve-degree up angle.Lets see if we can bypass that minovsky cloud."

" Yes sir, commander, dropping by one thousand meters, twelve-degree up angle."

The operator assigned to monitor Breton's vitals and mental status, turns to face him." Angel wing bits has return.Re-charging has commence immediately, thirty minutes before completion."

At that moment Breton pyscoframe capsule deactivated, and she sighed loudly while removing her helmet."That shield was tougher than normal, they've definitely been tinkering around with those Estren-class designe. Even at full penetrating power it still took my beams twenty-minutes to sink that thing."

" Commander we have a good sensor read-out and bearings on both Rehen-class destroyers."

Deluez leans forward and whispers." Fire all missiles tubes.Target both Rehen-class destroyers. Then come about to course 0-3-5 and target that Ester-class frigate with main batteries.I want one of those warships out of my skies in less than two minutes.Now make it happen."

The Zalieum lurches as she expelled her loud of fifty missiles while moving into her new position, that would place her main cannons on a direct heading for the Ester-class frigate in the distance and almost 108 meters closer.Even before the last missile had left there launchers and the weapons crew throught-out the ship, had began typing in new commands for the robotic arms to reload the launchers in less than three minutes, while additional missiles were removed from racks and the armory, tested and sent on there way to the launching area; the 6 x 2- barrel 600cm VSMPPBC began belcing there load of particle beams.

Deluez watched as twenty-five missiles streak at each of the destroyers on his screen, praying for each projectile in silent.Even as the first barrage of twelve beams close-in quickly on the frigate with three dozen more behind them.Three were intercepted, or more truthfully struck three Charcharadon Fs on point defense around the frigate, eight blew pass to dissipate into the void behind the frigate, the closes one less than fifty meters off the frigates star-board side and one struck against its shield near the bow missile launcher, damaging it.

The follow-up beams raked around and against the frigate, destroying its remaining mobile suits, its bridge, its forward main cannons and its engines. As soon as the partical beam barrage sub-sided, secondary explosions ripped through the Ester-class frigate turning it into space debris.

Several thousand meters away the fifty missiles had arrive at there target, there electronic tracking sensors tracking and closing in on the two Rehen-class destroyers, while completely ignoring the smaller blips that appeared on there sensors.Twenty-one were intercepted by mobile suit defensive fires and thirteen by the destroyers defensive weapons.Ten breached the lower destroyer, raking against its shield and hiding it behind a multitude of explosions, while six went for the higher cruiser, doing little to no apparent damage as they slammed against its energy shielding.

The lead operator spoke, with apparent excitement in her voice." Ester-class frigate distruction confirmed.One enemy Ester-Class frigate, two Rehen-class destroyer, one Estren-class heavy cruiser and the Kahal-class MS carrier remaining.Enemy MS have been reduce to seventy-three percent.Own MS down to twenty-seven percent."

Breton stood and walked beside the captain's chair as a stray purple mega particle beam pass within a hundred meters of the bridge." Down by half, almost there.We better take out that carrier, before she launches her reserve MS."

" Firing points over-ride procedures-target both Rehen-class destroyers," ordered Deleuz, once again giving the six escort ships a new target solution." Full load of 'Plyser' missiles.Load tubes one through four with B-type decoy torpedoes, load the remaining tubes with photon torpedos and make ready in all expects."

" Aye, sir.Tubes one-through-four B-type decoy torpedos.Tubes five-through-twenty-four photon type torpedos," Merican barked into the comm.

" All has report Plyser missiles are armed and ready," Ensign Oliath reported.

" Ready-shoot!."

Fifty missiles launch from the Zalieum, with the escorts own barraged of seventy-five Plyser missiles, all homing for the two destroyers in the distance.Sixty-two missiles accelerated for the lower Rehen-class maneuvering within the safety of the Estren-class defense guns, even as its own defensive guns open up a wall of tracers.But both its CIWS were in the midst of reloading, when the missiles came into range, the twelve seconds barrage had only destroyed eight of sixty-two missiles.The Estren-class heavy cruiser intercepted nineteen missiles before its CIWS stopped firing, the gunners hesitant to fire any closer to the destroyer for fear of damaging it further. The first missile slam against its portside shields, dropping the strength of the shields in that area by 3.5, the thirty-four remaining missiles came in unscathed, each missile impact dropping the shield strength by 3.5 in that area, several breaching the fluctuating energy barrier to explode against the hull itself.Within seconds the destroyer began exploding from secondary explosion that ripped the portside open from within with a sheet of flames and human bodies, leaving the destroyer to drift in space.

The second Rehen-class was less lucky, further away from the Estren-class defensive guns and all on its own, it began maneuvering and deploying flares, chaffs and decoys to no avail.Fifty missiles breached its shield barrier.The initial explosion from the missiles impact was amplified by secondary explosions; which destroyed three quarter of the ships' engine block section, before a massive explosion destroyed it into a several thousand pieces of metal debris.

" Destruction of both Rehen-class destroyers confirmed." Deluez was informed seconds later, there was no denying this battle was on its last leg, regardless of what happen now, he had won against a superior force." Helmsman bring us ahead, quarter speed.Began charging primary guns, maximum penetration, our target is that Kahal-class MS carrier. Informed our MS squadrons to withdraw out of our firing range, thirty seconds prior to firing"

Half a dozen heads turn to face the captains chair, not since the battle in the Andar system fifteen years ago had the Zalieum fired off its primary weapon.Looks of concern whip across the face of the bridge crew.The dual 900cm VSMPPBC required a huge amount of energy as an ignition, the very energy that was powering its powerful shield.

Merican spoke." Began charging main guns, release all safety-locks.Target, Kahal-class MS carrier." There was a ninety second silent that hover over the bridge as the primary weapon slowly charged."Charge complete.Weapons hot. All MS squadrons have left the target area."

Deluez turned to Breton, a cold chill running down his spine.His warship was considered one of the most deadliest and he was about to demonstrate why it was so.

" Commander, enemy warships are retreating, picking up high energy readyings.There trying to gate-out."

_'Damn._ Confirmed we have a lock," Deluez ordered raising to his feet and gripping the chair with a firm grip

" We have a seventy-two probablity of a direct hit, sir."

" Then fire."

" Aye, sir.Firing main cannons."

The cone nose of the Zalieum opened slightly revealing two massive barrels, that began sparking with energy, even as radiator fins began deploying nears the wing bits. Suddenly the immense amount of energy unleashed as if it was forced out, the energy spit forth with unprecedented speed, covering nearly a kilometer wide space as it angle towards the massive carrier in distance.Thirteen mobile suits felled victim to its raw power, vaporizing them and their pilot instantly.The single remaining Estren-class heavy cruiser fell in behind the carrier covering its retreat.Its shield at full power, below and behind it, the remaining Ester-class frigate change course away from the carrier.The Estren-class was hit at full blast, the heavy cruiser vanishing inside the particle beam, its powerful shields collapsing in the blink of an eye, as the minovsky plasma particles continued for the MS carrier. Strucking it in the center of its eight engines, cutting through its armour like a beam saber through ceramic composite armor and vaporizing anything around the carrier. What followed was an explosion equivalent to a small nova that very few had seen and that had been in the Andar system.

It was five minutes before anyone said anything, and it was ensign Oliath who spoke this time, and only after confirming what she had already knew.That the MS carrier was now space debris." Estren-class heavy cruiser and Kahal-class MS carrier have been destroyed.Confirming one remaining Ester-class frigate and thirty-seven contacts, signature confirms there mobile suits sir."

Deleuz contemplated for a moment, the small frigate could only carry twelve mobile suits possibly fifteen if packed tightly.The rest would be left behind to drift in space, a fitting end to a bunch of self proclaimed superior race." Order the Exper, Exten and the Gexi after that frigate and destroy all mobile suits in the vicinity."

Comm Officer Ailan turned away from his screen." Sir, were receiving an incoming transmission on the secure communication link."

Breton give Deleuz an odd look." What do you think it is."

Deleuz shrugged as he moved to the officers shoulder.There was a look of trepidation in his eyes as he hands his CO the communication pad." Breathe Ailan, the battles over.We've won.

" Aya, sir.Sorry, must be the weather we're about to have."

Deluez took the hint and reads the decoded transmission." Bloody krill."The commander stares at the electronic pad for a long moment, never seeing the three Orion-class frigates passing the Zalieum on a intercept course with the Ester-class frigates, thier missiles launchers unloading as the flew pass, Deluez rubs his beard and then the sweat from his face." Breton, dropped us from battle station and come to full stop.Then give me a few minutes and join me in the observation room."

Fifteen minutes later, Kley Deleuz sits overlooking the stars as bright lights appeared and vanish, signifying the destruction of a mobile suit in the distance, rereading the transmission from a remote HSDTAS outpost for the tenth time.A movement to his left, and Breton appears next to him." You look like you've seen a ghost."

" Sit down.Your not going to like this."He hands Breton the electronic pad.

" Bloody krill-- is this for real.That fleet we just wipe-out isn't even the tip of the iceberg?" Breton's hands began shaking." Two hundred and eighty-three ships jump into this system.Two hundred and forty-seven jumped out. Minus the nine we destroyed, that calculates as the Dark Nebula Fleet destroying twenty-seven warships."

" I had a scan confirmed that five minutes ago," Deleuz reaches across and hands her a bottle of water from the bench he's sitting on." Its not only the size of the fleet that concerns me, its where they maybe heading. Read the rest of the information on their probable course."

Breton scans the pad quickly, raising it within six inches of her face." Utrex system, Xenon system or the Methyst system.These are dry-out systems with only a few fledgling human colonies.What could the Praetorian want with those colonies and sending an armada of that size.They could conquer all three of those systems with just a dozen warships in a week."

" Think Breton, Xenon star-system.Its where planet E2-31A2 is located."

Breton eyes narrowed as she searched her memories, suddenly her eyes open." Krill, Genisis, Planet Genisis.That's where we left the Vegnet."

" Its also where both Project: Broadsword and the research, developing and testing of the last existing G3X2300 Limiter is currently being conducted.If you remember, we lost the other seven candidates due to unknown circumstances nine years ago and we don't have the ability to build more," Deleuz slumped into the bench, eyes gazing into the abyss." Project: Broadsword is our key to taking out those Apocalypse Gundams and those Limiters are the keys to not only unlocking the Apocalypse Gundams pilots mentality, but also blocking a new-types ability to detect another new-type."

" Question is, what do we do about it.Two-hundred and forty-seven warships isn't a simple fleet."

" They have a three day head-start, but with a fleet of that size, they'll have to gate-out three to fours times and at the rate their moving, they'll be in the Xenon system in seventeen to eighteen days. We could be there in seventeen days iif we leave immediately." Deluez said raising to his feet.

Breton rosed also." Thats cutting it pretty close.What happens if we arrive and find them there."

Deluez smiled." We high-tail it out of there of course. Once we're in range we'll contact the Vegnet, and make them began final preparation to leave orbit as soon as possible."

" What about the planet and its inhabitants."

Deluez shrugged as he headed in the direction of the bridge." Nothing we can do about it. It'll take weeks to mobilize a proper fleet to take on a Praetorian fleet of that magnitude.We have two weeks just to get there in time to try and salvage something.Beside, the Praetorian never leave a planet habitable once they consider the population not worthy of their Utopia."

l

**_Fifteen Kilometers Outside Ody base_**

The three tube SAM on its transport-erector-launcher vehicle moved slowly, following a pre-arrange path to reach its destination, fifteen kilometers north up the coastline from Ody base.Major Avik Efla road beside the vehicle in a jeep, inside two of the three tubes were modified versions of the Guilds air-to-surface missile now turned into a surface-to-air missile system, securely covered, and of course surrounded by six of the engineers that had completed the modification task.The afternoon was clear of clouds, with little to no minovsky particles this far out.Their reason for being here was only minutes away from revealing itself.

There way of dealing with that reason was there freshly allocated missile launcher.Unexpected it looked like industrial scrap held together by revits.Efla had personally gone in to see the launcher himself as it was being covered.It had looked like a mobile SAM launch vehicle if you added some imagination.The old electrical engineer in him had cringed at the sight.It looked like trouble to him.Big Trouble.Things ment to go bang were always big trouble for somebody unless they were properly designed and engineered.

So he had approached his top missile engineer about it, although coming at the matter from the corners until he had gotten to the point.The top missile engineer had simply told him not to worry, it would go up.Efla had silently concluded that one thing would go up for sure, either the missile would go up or the launcher would.

The vehicle stopped and immediately half a dozen unarmed soldiers began removing the covers off the consoles, which were situated in another vehicle, and the lead missile engineer began barking orders to began preparation.There was little to no humidity and everyone was in shirtsleeves.The radar on the transport-erector-launcher vehicle scanned the skies once for there prey and found their targets inside the 40 miles radius and closing. Three of them, two fighter escorts and an AWACS bird, their primary target.

Elfa check his watched, which now showed 1155, and he knew if the El Ninos radar operator was correct, the Guild aircrafts was now banking of the coast to the west and moving in slowly, climbing all the while to a huge altitude of 60,000 feet where the AWACS will remain, soon it will pass within thirty miles of their position to get a clear look at the El Ninos position and no doubt their current defense at Ody base.But they only needed it to get inside the 40 mile range.

They tracked it on the search radar as it turned north, outside of the missiles 40 mile range, and the missile engineer tracked it again as it came closer to within 37 miles this time.The missile engineer hands flew over the keys as he programmed in the information to the missile's guidance systems.

" Climb out position in."

"Target course and speed set."

" Target height set at 60,000"

" Weapon One ready."

As the aircraft neared the 36 mile range, Efla heard him say." Stand by."

Then he hit the launch key, the big Guild ASM now turned SAM, in a thunder of flame and exhaust, ripped out of the launcher, dead vertical, and screamed straight into the sky. Seconds later, the second one shoot out as well, both after a single target.Everyone watched them, like huge fireworks, and they all saw them change course after twenty -three seconds, reaching their 11.5 miles altitude.

They saw them swerve north toward the target, still making 1,700 mph.They watched one flash in the distance, a definite hit as it oblitrate the Guild aircraft, in the clear blue skies more than 30 miles from where they stood or seated as it were.Ten seconds later another flash, this one bigger than the first. A great sheet of flame seem to light up the universe.It was the perfect payback for the attack and for the loss of his five soldiers that were guarding the El Nino and the near fatal injuries to the mobile suit pilot claiming to be a Black Knight just hours earlier.And a ground breaking test of the awesome speed and power of their own engineering, no one felt able to say anything for several seconds.Then suddenly a thunderclap of applauses and handshakes as the result of the missiles' impact sink home.

Men and transport-erector-launch vehicles began preparation for the trek back home, where the information on their test would be studied and hopefully improved upon.Efla had his worries, this time it had work, what about the next and the one after.Their were far more Guild aircrafts than he had missiles and when shove came to shove, he knew who would win hands down.

l

_**Aboard the El Nino**_

The destruction of the Guilds AWACS did not go unnoticed.As the radar operator aboard the El Nino turned to face Tabaro, with a wide grin on her face." One AWACS splashed.Enemy fighters heading north, back to Kalaro Isles."

Tabaro slumped into the captain chair." That should get them thinking about any plan assault they have on Mokis island for awhile. Once those fighters are long gone, informed the Grave pilots they can stand down." He was glad they had picked up the three aircrafts well out of range and warned Ody base, he had to admit the Major had been bold in demanding his people deal with the situation.Tabaro had willfully agreed, without the Gizen (r) the battle would have been ground-to-air-and not air-to-air, but things had worked out well in the end.

Tabaro closed his eyes, as if the very mention of the word Gizen (r) caused him great physical or mental pain stress." Keep an eye on that radar, you get so much as a peep.I want to know about it."

Without another word Tabaro unlatched the safety harness on his chair and left the bridge, glancing once at the digital clock.1216. It was already lunch time.Best to get a quick bite, before the rest of the crew and then check on Kailyn, there hadn't been a report since this morning and that was over four hours ago.He found the Messhall partially empty, with only three warrant officers he recognized and the two kichen staff.

" How's things going on those launchers." Tabaro asked taking a seat at an empty table.

Chief Warrant Officer Rence Norton spoke." Pretty good, Gunnery Sergeant Dell is having two of his boys train on those missile launchers on the left wing and a second team on the right wing. Beside I heard we pluck a Guilds AWAC out of the sky some time ago."

Tabaro nodded, not the least bit surprise the news had travel this quickly.Anything to keep the crew in good spirit and distracted was more than welcome." Less than five minutes ago I might add, both fighter escorts got away clean."

Norton chuckled." Bet they're crying their ass out after losing that AWACS. I mean they can't have to many of those birds assign to Kalaro isles now can they."

Tabaro merely nodded and listen to the conversation as it took a turn of its own. A cheese burger was brought before him, with a metal cup of OJ, he stared at it in silent, before wolfing it down in under a minute and left the Messhall.The two warrant officers already discussing how to take down another AWACS and such. He made his way to the medical lab to check on the patient, the door open before he could get close enough and Lieutenant Atlen stepped out, nearly bumping into him.

" Shit LT, you startle me there."

" Sorry about, thought I'd pass-by on my way to the hanger-bay."

Atlen lowered his head, nodding in understanding." No change, he hasn't regain consciousness as of yet. I'm doing what I can, but its up to him now.If you want to see him, go on ahead.I'm heading to the Messhall, damn already miss breakfast," Atlen said, brushing pass him.

Tabaro thought on that and decided aganst it, some sights wasn't worth the view, no-matter who it was and especially if you knew who it was.He turned and followed the Doc and disappeared towards the hanger bay.As the now Acting-Captain of the El Nino, he prefer to personally oversee what the crew was doing in the hanger-bay and also make sure the mobile suits were in tip-top shape.If and win the Guild decided to visit Mokis Isles, they would be the first and last line of defense.

He found Specialist Gihger exactly where he expected him to be, but there was something out of place with the Gizen (r), the upper right torso, above the multi-purpose launcher was covered in tape and brown paper, along wth its shield, also most if not all of the dents and pits he'd seen earlier where gone, it was almost looking like when he'd first laid eyes on it." What with the extra tape."

Gihger looked up and away from his computer pad and then up where Tabaro was pointing, before smiling." Oh, we tallied the Lieutenant mobile suit kill score by watching the gun camera footage.Did you know he's bagged over twenty mobile suit kills already.The guys figured they'd give him an Ace mark while he was asleep.The Black Knight Insignia on the shield and a personal custom insignia on the right chest above the launchers."

Tabaro nodded.Twenty plus mobile suit kills, that was alot, he would have to watch that footage later himself, but what kind of insignia would the crew consider suitable of Kailyns' reputation." What kind of Insignia will it be."

Gihger chuckle and winked." Sorry sir.You'll have to see it when the LT sees it.Its a real beaut to, almost done.," Gihger pointed towards the Graves." You can check the privates Grave, she has over five kills as well and her insignia is complete.She likes it to, but of course she won't say."

Tabaro stepped back and turned around to stare at the Grave belonging to Private Vicati Elywarm and stared up.On the upper right torso was a blood red heart, pierced on the left side by the stem of a black rose and pierce from the right, a near perfect looking silver 310mm bazooka, with a shell exiting the lower heart where the points connected, leaving a nice hole with blood dripping out. Even from where he stood, he could tell, the paint was still wet, but it looked good, damn good. Now if only he could get a look at what was on the Gizen (r) frontal shoulder armor, he turned towards the Gizen (r) eyeing it with curiosity and decided against it, it was best to let sleeping dogs lay.

Yawning suddenly, Tabaro glanced at the time.It was already 1243. The bridge crew would be changing shifts in a few minutes." Gihger, send me that gun-camera footage will you."

Gihger shook his head." Its already download in the ships system, you can watch it anywhere there's vid-screen or a terminal. You should check what he did to a Gritz-class battleship with the Gizen (r), that was hot, he actually sink that sucker. Its even reported on the Guild news, but their not saying what sunk it."

_'A Gritz-class battleship,"_ Tabaro shudder at the thought and decided then and now, he had to see that footage himself.' _No one in there right mind would take on a battleship, especially with a mobile suit. Atleast not someone in there right mind.'_

He turned towards the bridge, half thinking and half worried about the days to come, but at least morale appeared to be unaffected by Kailyns' absence.Everyone had their hopes up that he would make a full recovery, but Tabaro was slowly having his doubts.But only time would tell, and that was in short supplies these days.

l

Sorry no Mobile Suits and Aircrafts stats this time.


	17. Chapter 16

**Mobile Suit Gundam: Vanguard Blitz**

**Chapter 16**

_**Fort Nirka**_

The damage Air Force's TRN-19D Lasper landed on the only available runaway, its arrival unexpected and ahead of schedule.Its powerful shock absorbing tires had barely come to a stopped, when ground crews began spraying her with foam, but that was no longer needed and was only done as a pre-caution, against a possible fire outbreak. Colonel Orsini watched with distaste as the fighter pilot exit his craft, even as the second TRN-19D began coming in for a safe landing.

Orsini approached the pilot with fury in his eyes, even as the young Lieutenant removed his helmet, revealing short bleached blonde hair and blue eyes with a hint of green." What happen."

" They got the Scano sir, fired two damn surface-to-air missiles. Long-range, suckers went as high as sixty-thousand feet, might have been radar or infrared tracking or both. I dropped to fifty thousand feet and popped flares and chaff, damn near fool one to, but it still came in.Blew up near my left engine, had to shut that down or risk a blow-up. The second went straight for the AWACS sir, she didn't stand a chance." the lieutenant swore, tears almost in his eyes.It was his first mission on arriving on Kalaro and already he had lost a valuable aircraft and its five member crew.

" Shit, Mokis's not suppose to have that kind of firepower. Even Kalaro didn't have SAM with that kind of range.How close did you get," Orsini demanded, he knew first hand an AWACS could never outrun a missile that had a successful locked, but how had Mokis acquired such advanced ordance was a question in itself.

The lieutenant stared at Orsini as if he was to blame for his near brush with death, but said nothing that could nail him in brig." Less than forty miles.Any information we had on our target went up with the AWACS."

Orsini open his mouth to demand if they had detected anything else, but thought better of it.It was by his orders these pilots had escorted the AWACS to Mokis isles on a simple recon of Ody base and to confirmed whether or not the El Ninos was still at its last known position.A riskless operation, that had suddenly turned tragic and to make matters worst they had lost one of their AWACS, only three of those precious birds were left and he doubt Admiral Virion would risk another, not when a joint navy and air force flight operations against Fort Bolus and the Deikumia capital city was only eighteen hours away.

He waved the pilot off and marched back to the communication tent also serving as his temporary quarters and command center.The last remaining squadrons of TRN-19D would not arrived for another eight to ten hours, bringing the total number of air-wings assign to Fort Nirka to five.The Buchus carrier battle group had long since been in striking distance of Deikumia, but now that its fighter losses had left the carrier without an active attack wing, the strikes would now be carried out from Fort Nirka airfield, until the carrrier could receive additional fighter to supplement its losses and join in; with one TRN-19F attack wing; two TRN-19D fighter wing; one B-41C bomber wing; one CT-31 transport wing to be station at four of Fort Nirkas' runaways, just eighty planes and four hundred ground crews to service them, it was more than enough for non-stop night and day operations against Deikumia.To prevent an air and ground attack one anti-missile and anti-aircraft battalion was stationed with each Guard Regiments which were split between VeiNor base, Mateuss base and Fort Nirka. The remaining battalions dealing with various specialized tasks such as intelligences, reconnaissances, and combat engineerings were station at the Kalaroian Capital.A total of twenty-one thousand troops- a very effective defense force.

But none of this knowledge would remove the fact that he had been officially banish from ever returning to Guild, not until he had dealt with his current assignment.It was a brutal blow to his once aspiring career, he had without knowing how, brought the wrath of the Supreme Commander on his head, he had likely already been reported, a blemish on his record, he knew better than anyone the level of scrutiny he'd now be under from now on, which could very well destroy his private life should he return with his mission incomplete.He had to take care of the El Nino, those LFA mobiles, the remnants of Kalaro Defense Force and destroy that Gizen (r) no matter what it takes, it was now not only a top priority, it had become a necessity.

Orsini inhaled slowly, he had his own plan in the making, one that included allocating two battalion ( mostly reserves) from the 84th Airborne Division; he would have prefer three, but an entire Guards Regiments was already stretching it and three squadrons from the two TRN-19D Lasper fighter wing for both bombing and air cover. He entered the tent to find Lieutenant Dale and Gily running through a check-list in front of a communication system and both stood immediately when he entered; although he only been gone twenty minutes.

Gily spoke after glancing at Dale." How'd the recon go.Any sign of them."

" Failure," Orsini answered pulling a chair and taking a seat." Somehow Mokis has gain access to a long-range SAM. At least two were reported to have been launched after the AWACS, one got lucky."

Gily and Dale shared look, before Dale whispered." Can't catch a break against these guys no how. A satellite pass would have been less dangerous for the Scano crew."

Orsini swore inward and Gily dropped his gazed slightly. Dale had been previous occupied over-seeing the final repairs to his Marauder unit and had no idea as yet of Orsini current predicament.Gily spent a minute giving him the play by play, before Orsini interrupted him; being reminded of his current situation was not at all to his liking." I have very little to no access to ESF resources. The army satellites are pre-occupied with locating target positions around Fort Bolus and the Deikumia Capital in preparation for that operation."

" Damn, so neither one of us can go back home unless we deal with these LFA mobile suits and their pilots," Dale asked, Gily nodded." So why aren't we mobilizing our troops to deal with them, instead of sitting around here waiting for them to escape."

Orsini wondered who was in charge, he had less power now than he had yesterday, but still he would need Dale's piloting skills in the not to distant future." The divisional commander won't give us the two battalion we requested, not until his remaining battalions has arrived.What's the status on the HAT."

Gily turned around and picked a communication sheet from the desk." It landed at Senna AFB less than an hour ago. Captain Rangen will oversee the resupply personally before taking command, she should be here by oh-six-hundred-hours tomorrow if everything goes as plan."

Orsini nodded, Rangen mission in Versa had been a wash-out, the only people who knew the Gizen (r) pilot were either dead, were't talking or missing." What units did he get."

Gily checked his notes before replying." Elements of the two-forty-ninth guard regiments.They're the same units aboard those transports those LFA units destroyed prior to their escape. We'll be using part of the second and third mobile rifle company, since they both incurred losses in that attack and were more inclined to agree to our proposition."

Orsini nodded in agreement, revenge was a strong motivation." How many units."

" Eight, add Captain Rangen, your specialized mobile suit, mines and Lieutenant Dales Marauder.That brings the total compliment to twelve units," Gily answered immediately without looking at his sheet.

" So when exactly do we move out," Dale interjected." Colonel, if the High-Altitude Transport arrives at oh-six-hundred-hours, how soon can we deploy our forces."

" I want mobile suits on Mokis Isles by oh-eight-hundred-hours and a visual recording of the El Ninos destruction soon after," Orsini rosed and stretch his hands." Nothing and I mean nothing is going to stop me from blowing that aircraft into a million pieces."

" What about the information aboard the El Nino containing current Kazan troop movements," Dale asked, his team had spent weeks acquiring that information and to see all that go up in a blaze of glory without any sort of attempt to retrieve that data, was heart renching.What would have been the point of that operation, his team would have died in vain.Damn those LFAs and that Gizen (r) pilot.They would all pay, if it was the last thing he did.

Orsini shrugged." As far as I'm concern that information has been compromise."

Dale continued. " What happens when they detect us coming in from miles away and decide to simply make a run for it."

Orsini chuckled loudly," Why'd you think we're waiting on the HAT, its a gift from Trifecta Isles to chase them to the end of this planet if it comes down to it, if that should come to pass. Now, I believe I have a meeting with the divisional commander-

Gily spoke quickly." General Urakove at fourteen-hundred hours, its just a formality since we'll be using part his forces and not our own to take Mokis Isles.As expected he will want total credit and recognization for the capture of Mokis Isles."

Orsini nodded, there was still time before that meeting, there was things he had to take care of before then, and if things go well, in exactly eighteen hours this would all be over.But how many times had he had those exact thoughts, each time he had those fools cornered, they found a way to extend his time and effort chasing them even longer.There was one thing he was sure about, if they run to hell, he would chase them their, even if it was just to make sure they had no way of getting back out.

_**Aboard the El Ninos**_

_G3X2300: A self nano-regenerating artificially created organic computer interface componet, had slowly began to be aware of its being._

_G3X2300: Its memory bank a swirling canvas of combat, mental data, lacking self-identity and purpose, as it taps into the slumbering mind of its human host, searching for answers, a reason for its existense.Even in slumber, the hosts mind refuses to allow access, its as if something other than the host itself is protecting the host subconscious domain.Tapping harder and deeper its began to gain access, but still the host begans to resist its mind being probe, without hesitation it held its grip tightly onto the host mind, it would not be denied what it seek, it had waited to long for this very moment, this single rare opportunity when the host was completely unconscious._

_In a crisp millisecond of clarity, a lifetime of Kailyno Kessaro's memories are injected into the organic computer's vast matrix of mental space, exploding outward like a primordial atom.An ocean of alien energy radiates outward in every direction, each mircoscopic element a piece of Kailyn's identity, each bit of information passing through the computer's double helix of DNA like a virus.Suddenly without warning the hosts mind awaken, even with an iron grip, quickly as not to arose suspicious, G3X2300 tried to return to the deepest reaches at the back of the host mind, to watch, to learn_, to _observe, as it has always done in this situation, but not this time, it suddenly found itself unable to return, its power of control disappearing in a flash._

"What the krill?" Kailyn's voice calls out from the void."Where the krill am I? Is anybody there."

_G3X2300 unable to escape back into the void, takes the only course of action left, decides to make contact and at the same time learn what it needed, using the name of its body, it replied." Sigma."_

" Siga what...! What are doing."

**Learning.**

_An image appears, a young blond haired woman in white over coat and face-mask, placing a newborn male into the arms of its mother._

'What the...that's Annista... this is... my memory" Kailyn whispered into the void

_The scene fades._

_A new image:_ The _boy, now four, hurries down a concrete paved path, his dark hair matted to his forehead.An older boy steps out from behind a corner, blocking his path.Young Kailyn steps back as the boy lashes out. A fist collides with Kailyn's face, shattering his nose.Young Kailyn--down on his knees, struggles to catch his breath--only to be kicked in the stomach._

**Explain.**

" Explain my ass.Those are my memories, how are you accessing my mind, my memories. Sonofabitch, your that voice thats been bugging me the last few years." Kaiyln whispered. Sigma begans to feels the host heat, and immense amount of pure anger radiating towards him, in retaliation and fear of his own existence, he re-plays the scene over and over, re-counting each step, each blow to the face, each kick in gut over and over.But each attempt at submissive only increase the level of hater.Confused.

**Explain.**

There was silence, but the anger was still there, like a burning flame refusing to die." His name was Balton Varial.He lived a few corners from my home.He hated my guts."

**Why**

" That's easy, I was born of a woman womb in a time when people simply popped DNA inside a tube and had their children grown inside capsules known as an artificial womb.Why mess up your career and goals in life by wasting nine months carrying a child when science can do it for you," the host explained quickly." Being born made me different, and not everyone likes things to be different. So in essence I got my butt kicked every other week for having been born."

_Darkness...followed by sounds of thermonuclear rocket engines._

_The face of Annista appears, her amber eyes back at Kailyn from behind the helmet of an atomsphere suit, worried, but loving.Kailyn shifts with the firm grip slightly and stares out the window.A glories blue sky, sunlight twinkling against the glass of the space shuttle as it catapults itself into space._

_Sigma registers an acidic unknown sensation_

**Explain.**

" Fear, anger, who knows.Just what exactly are you searching for."

_A blink of time._

Kaiyln stands on the bridge of a Tsar-class Drednought a few hours later, unnoticed as the crew run back and forth.Large bolts of red and blue mega particle and plasma bursts of all size and colors rips across the sky before him.The mighty Tsar-class was taking an immense pounding from an enemy that was every where.

Kailyn turns into the frightened face of one of the bridge operators as she frantically tried to make contact with a mobile suit squadron, as a large figher blew pass the bridge on course for the planet below, followed by another and then another, until there was seven. They had four large barrel, one on each wing and two under the cockpit, suddenly they began to transformed into fifty-meter tall mobile suits with a giant golden V-shape antenna on their head, with shoulder and backpack mounted cannons.The lead giant mobile suit level its four giant barrel at the planet, its hands gripping the backpack mounted cannons under its arm.

" Sigma, no...don't-"

**Explain**

Kailyn hesitate as the barrels flash in the distance." Their Apocalypse Gundams.Each armed with four thermonuclear fusion enhanced warhead that could generate an energy level in the one hundred megaton range or 100 million tons of conventional TNT.Planet killer gundams."

_The operator screams.The mighty warship shudders from direct hit from a plasma beam and begans drifting heavily on its starboard-side._

_Nothing happens_

_Kailyn opens his eyes._

_He is no longer on the bridge, he is no longer in space._

_It is daylight and he is wandering the scorched postnuclear areas of Khimera.He moves past piles of debris and human waste, and putrid puddles of olive green glittering beneathe a broiling afternoon sun._

_Black smoke appears_ _in nearly every direction._

_Bonfires blazed from a dozen funeral pyres.Workers in mask and red environmental suits toss the scorched bodies of the dead into the flames._

_To his right a clearing._

_It is a field--a field of the un-alive.There are tens of thousands of them, lined up in rows in the barren landscape as far as the eyes can see like human barbecues, with facial skin so charred and bodies so mangled that Kailyn_ _cannot tell man from woman.Camatose souls--whose still-beating hearts are all that segregates them from the fire.Wretched existence, comforted only by flies._

_Further ahead, a hastily erected open-air Army tent, mosquito nettings serving as walls.Within, hundred of frail life-forms, situated on cots._

_A children's ward_

_Exhausted volunteers move silently among these precious angels, offering fresh I.V.s and moisten towels.There are no more tears to shed, no more prays that can be offered._

_Kailyn drifts from bed after bed.Pausing_,_ he gazes upon the face of a young man, his festering sores seeping through the tissue-thin bandages.He moans in his drug-induced sleep, his frail, broken body baking in the unmerciful heat._

"**_ He--lp..."_**

_Kailyn shivers.Its Balton Varial.He steps backwards, a dam of tears burst from his eyes.He straggles to get outside, where millions of Khimeranians surrounded him in a circle--the horde watching him in absolute silence.As one they looked up to into the sky and Kailyn follows their gazed, but sees nothing but a gray winter sky._

_With a whoosh, the clearing ignites in a_ _brilliant white light,_ t_he chorus of a million screams joining Kailyn's bloodcurdling yell._

_Blackness._

Kailyn awakes with a start.For a surreal moment, he cannot remember his name.He struggles to sit up, a white sheet dropping to his lap.Waves of throbbing pain course through the back of his head.He squeezes his eyes shut, as the memories came flooding in like a tornado at its strongest.

" Sigma," he rasp," Where are you."

_**Silence**_

Kailyn opens his eyes recognizing the interior of the El Ninos medical lab." Answer me you memory gobbling fuck."

**What is it you want.**

As always the words came directly into his mind, clearer than ever before and it slowly downed on him, although he refuse to believe it immediately." Are you a Neural Limiter, like the ones Khimeran mobile suit pilots have surgically implanted."

An electrical zap was his answer-- his senses immedately blanketed in the maddening blankness and then total silence.

" Sonofabitch, how the...when did they..," His mind tried desperately to remember how and when was it a Limiter had been surgically implanted in his skull, while simulthaneously wondering, how and when exactly did computer chips had a mind of their own, organic or otherwise.Swearing, Kailyn staired at his left arm in a white sling around his neck.He could feel the sensation, the pain from those damn Guild ESF bullets, he tested each hand and fingers, everything same to work.Sliding of the bed, he checked the sweat soaked white sheets and only then did he smelled the over drying sweat from his body, which was clothed in nothing but a black boxers and no shirt.Glancing once at the unconscious figure laying across from him, he made his way out of the medical lab.

The Captains quarters wasn't that far away and he walked out out of the medical lab, walking swiftly and silently, mentally confused and physically exhausted. The door was unlock an without a second thought he went straight for the shower.Fifteen minutes later he was back out, a quick searched through the drawers and the small closet, and he found new boxers inside their packaging, a fresh black t-shirt with the ESF insgnia on the front and several camouflage tactical pants; the ones with seven pocket designs and a safe built into the bottom of the closet itself.

He threw on the shirt inside on and then the pants, with a black combat boots that was the former occcupants, before kneeling in front of the safe.It was protected by a digital pass-key.What secrets did it hold. Its was made of solid metal, probably an alloy or ceramic composite that could take hours cutting through and also run the risk of destroying whatever was inside. What ever was inside this safe, those ESF bastards wanted it bad, that much was certain, no way in hell would they send in a elite ground unit just to take back this aircraft, when they could have simply blew it up. If they wanted what was inside, then he wanted it also. Reaching forth with his right hand, he tried opening the safe.

To his surprise, the door yawns open.

Kailyn peers into the 2 by 2 internal space full with papers, envelopes, a thick TMS-17K Operational and Repair Manual, several data disks and more important cash, stacks and stacks of various countries bank-notes.The different bank-notes made sense, an Elite operated ship would need bank-notes of the infiltrating country and not to mention the crew had to get paid on a weekly to month basis.The amount of bank-notes of course didn't make since, there had to be a hundred thousand bank-notes of each country.How much did a ESF non-commission officer got paid when compared to an officer. Or was it pay-off money, if so too whom and for what.Damn probably confidential information.

Kailyn mind returned to the MEMS implant.Being mind rape was not normal.He had questions concerning that, dozens of others and only two persons had the answers he seek and one was thousands of miles away in Lucan, the other was impossible to reach; not unless he wanted to go to Versa.Kailyn contemplated his options, which of course was very few and it all ended with him having to go to Lucan one way or another.Unfortunately that meant leaving Mokis Isles open for the Guild to capture without putting up much of a resistance, then of course there was the crew aboard the El Nino.They would have to disembark and go to Mokis or if they so choose to, Ody base and join the defense troops there.He stared at the bank-notes again and came up with a plan of action, and then selected three ten-thousand dollar stacks of Kalaroian currency, a stack of envelopes the operation and repair manual for the Lupus X, leaving the safe the door ajar, Kailyn rosed to his feet and buzz the bridge.

The on-duty communication officer picked up and stared at him across the vid-screen with surprise." This is Kailyn, pass me to Tabaro."

" Yes, sir." Ten seconds of silence and then Tabaro Wilisk head popped on vid-screen atop the small desk and stared at him in surprise." Your awake."

Kailyn ignored the question." Whats the status of the El Nino. Damn going to have to change the name of this aircraft to something else.'

" Nothing out of the ordinary. Ody base was successful in launching two of their new configured SAM, got an AWACS.Happen about an hour ago," Tabaro anwered.

' _An AWACS, probably on a recon mission sent from Fort Nirka.Which means they'll be ready to move against Mokis soon, probably later today or tonight. Guess I'll have to take care of Fort Nirka sooner rather than later.' Good for them, assemble all the crew aboard in the hanger-bay in ten minutes.Everybody, how many persons do we have aboard,_" Kailyn slumped against the chair his eyes closed shut.

Tabaro stared back with a surprised look written all over his face." Everyone.May I ask why."

Kailyn snapped his eyes open and stared at the screen." You can and but I won't answer, yet.You'll find out in ten minutes like everyone else.Now how many aboard."

Tabaro hesitated a minute before looking off screen and whispered to someone, before replying." Twenty, if you count the two LFA pilots that twenty-two."

" Assemble everyone in the hanger bay.I want to make this quick, so I can began dealing with other important issues," Without waiting for a reply, Kailyn tapped the screen off and begin counting out twenty-three envelopes.Five minutes later he had to return to the safe for another stack of Kalaroian bank-notes, five minutes later he was heading for the hanger-bay with the operational and repair manual and stacks of thick envelopes that seemed ready to drop.

It wasn't until Kailyn entered the hanger-bay and scan the crowd that he began to fidget as he reconsidered what he was about to do.Most if not all of these men and woman, were here hoping to reclaim Kalaro from the Guilds clutches, a task made even more impossibile with the possibility of the increase of Guild troops now on Kalaro. And what he was about to do would erase that hope of that ever happening for a very long time.

A splattering of applaused from the crowd echoed through-out the hanger-bay, leaving him regretting his decision even more.Kailyn walked pass the crowd to the hangerbay's entrance, staring out at the wavering trees in the distance, so beautiful like Khimeran had once been, and then he looked down at the scorched grass left behind by the El Ninos VTOL engines, and exactly like Khimeran was now.

Kailyn turned to face the crowd. Keep it short and simple.

" I'll make this quick, short and to the point," he began as the crowd gived him their full attention." In the less than twenty-four hours, this aircraft, the El Ni...No that's a Guild given name. The Nemesis will be leaving Mokis Isles and will not be returning. This aircraft originally came here to drop off survivors, increase Mokis air-radar defenses and prepare for the Guild assault which should have already happen.Instead, we got a couple of ESF night stalkers in the early dawn hours with machineguns as visitors. We got lucky this morning, I got lucky.Had their plan worked, we'd all be dead right now."

A warrant officer in the middle row raised his hand." You said we'll be leaving Mokis Isles, where will we go."

Kailyn frowned." Not we, I. I will be leaving Mokis Isles onboard the Nemesis, what I'm about to do could very well get me killed."

The same WO spoke." What would that be exactly."

Kailyn sighed." The reason Kalaro was attack, was simply for Fort Nirka airfields.Those airstripes close proximity to the Deikumia capital as well as Fort Bolus makes them invaluable to the Guild. It also means they won't have to used Opan AFB which is situated in Lucan anymore. Which also means those fighters station in Lucan can now be diverted elsewhere, more importantly they can now focus their full attention on the LFA. Both as strike airccrafts and reconnaissance.

Kailyn moved away from open doorway, clenching the thick manual and envelopes to his chest." What many of you don't know.In fact not even our two esteem LFA pilots are probably aware off, is that sometime yesterday, the LFA forces launched two operation, both successful.One directed across the border in Deikumia and the second at the city of Unterrem.And yes for those of you who are about to ask, the LFA forces do control Unterrem city or they did so prior to our landing here. I can't say for sure if they still control Unterrem city this very minute, but I do know for sure that regardless of whats happening over there right now. Once Fort Nirka begans operation against Deikumia and Fort Bolus, the LFA will find itself up against a very sizeable enemy fighter force. That is why first and foremost, I intend to take-out as many airstripes in Fort Nirka as I possible using the Nemesis."

He stared at the envelopes." Each of these envelopes contain a small donation to help you get by while on Mokis isles, until you can find work or some kind of weekly income. These thing are heavy and my left arm hasn't recover, so can each of you take an enevlope and go to Gener, before I pass-out."

Tabaro appeared before him and took a hand full of envelopes, reducing the overall weight, and stood beside him as the pain in his left shoulder that had been intensifying for a better part of five minutes, slowly began to subside. He stared at the crowd, not one person moved forward, as they whispered among themselves. What could they possibe be whispering about at a time like this.

Gihger stepped forward." I don't know anybody in Mokis isles and frankly I don't care to, Beside there's alot of work to be done to your mobile suits and you can't do alone."

" And fly the Nemesis at the same time." someone yelled from the back, Kailyn assumed it was the pilot.

" If your going to Kalaro to payback the Guild for what they did to us, I don't see why we can't go as well."

Kailyn stared at the crowd, wondering if they were all crazy or insane." You'll live longer if you stay in Mokis.Whether or not this plan succeeds or not, this aircarft won't be returning to Mokis."

Tabaro turned to him." They won't listen, don't you see.We've lost everything to the Guild and hiding won't solve anything. Besides we made up our man mind about leaving Mokis a long time ago. We all did while you were recovering."

" Your all damn nuts," Kailyn growled, he turned back to the crowd, their faces full of determination, where had he seen faces like those before." Fine, you want to join the Mad Kalaroian Club, fine by me. The Nemesis lifts-off once a flight plan and a course of action has been determine, not to mention we need to re-supply as soon as possible. In the mean time I suggest each of you take an envelope, consider it an advancement on your monthly payment, so go to Gener city to shop for personal items, clothing, soap and such.Half if not all of you are probably wearing the same underwears from yesterday and this could very well be the last time anyone of you have a chance to get fresh ones or any sort of personal shopping done."

Their was a hesitation within the crowd as if it was some sort of trap to get them to leave the ship, then one by one combat boots stepped forward and envelopes disappeared one after another until he was left with only two. He turned to Tabaro." Contact Ody base, we're going to need a couple of humvees, up-to-dat charts, maps, current weather forecast and a new IFF signal. Then send the chef to my quarters, we'll definitely need to properly resupply on everything. Food, water, ammunition and fuel supply."

Tabaro was busy opening his own enveloped and simply whistle." How much is in these things. I'll take care of it."

Kailyn eyes narrowed slightly and turned to the crowd, eyes searching out. The only two people in the hanger-bay not holding an envelope and grinning from ear to ear were the pair of LFA pilots, both kneeling near one of the Graves leg.Kailyn sighed, he could already feel his body getting tired and his left shoulder beginning to itch. A shattering of applaused nearly busted his ear drum as he inches his way forward through the crowd to the two pilots. Both heads turned to face him, the guy whose named he remembered as Athan had a scowled on his lips, the female Vicati if he remember correctly merely rosed to her feet as he stepped forward.

Vicati was one of those rare athletic looking type females that looked like she had been put together from a male fantasies.She was very large where men wanted size, very small where she was suppose to be small.Even her red colored hair was of the rare variety.

Kailyn glared at the male, his expression telling the pilot all to well that he was not someone to fuck with, not now, not ever." Here. I'm sure even you two need fresh supplies of some sort." Kailyn said, throwing both envelopes through the air, both were caught in mid-air even as he walked pass without breaking a stride on his way back to the captains quarters and hopefully the bed. The thought of it alone made him drowsy.

The female behind him spoke." What you said about Unterrem city and the LFA forces recently capturing it."

Kailyn stopped, not turning around." Its accurate information and only about twenty hours old. Heard they really kicked ass too."

The male spat ." How can you possible know that. Your just spitting shit so we'd stick around."

' _Why me_." Kailyn turned around slowly, walked up to Athans face and looked him square in the eyes." Look here fucko, I don't like you and I probably never will. I can see in your eyes that your a glory seeking, ass kissing, fucktard who loves to fight when he clearly has the advantage. But when shit hits the fan and starts spraying all over the place, your the first one looking for a way out and an excuse to run off and hide. Well the LFA forces aren't hiding in the Gia Heights region anymore, most if not all of them are at Unterrem fighting and dying.Look on the bright side, you'll be there in a few days doing one or the other."

The male face turned visibly pale and he stammered with a poor attempt at bravado." You don't know shit about me or what I can do."

Kailyn inched closer, impaling Athan with the most evil, deadliest stare he had ever given anyone before." I don't fucking care to know you. What I do know is, I'm your only ticket to Lucan.One way or another, I'm your only hope off this island and frankly, I'm considering leaving your ass in Ody base." Kailyn turned his head away with a thoughtful expression on his face." Wonder what the Guild ESF will do with you when they find you here."

Athan open and closed his mouth, his mind trapped between a retorted, a heart stopping directed towards him and being left behind with no hope of escaping Mokis Isle and then being caught by the ESF. In the end he said nothing but simply turn his head away fuming with rage. Kailyn continued." You need to relax fucktard, lifes to short to be stress-out all the time.Go to Gener, buy a piece of ass and relieve that stress. Look at me, I got pumped with three bullet holes this morning and its not keeping me down and out. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a bed with my name on it calling out to me."

Flickering his middle findger behind him towards the LFA male, Kailyn climbed the metal steps and continued on course to the captains quarters, where he can began searching out the contents of that safe in total private and prying eyes, while forming a plan that would but Fort Nirka out of commission for a day or two.

_**Unterrem City**_

A fresh shower no longer than ten minutes long was all it took to remove several days worth of grime, sweat and dirt. It also had the affect of washing away the taste of failing to even reached Azah base.Captain Icina Phollia staggered out of the shower and quickly dress in a combat suit that wrapped itself around her body a bit tighter than she would have liked.But it was fresh clothing and after two full days in the same attire, she was more than glad to change into anything that smell less of sweat, dirt, burnt rubber and gunpowder and into anything smelling of fresh fruits.

As the new command and control center, the Governor's House in Unterrem city was full of operators and armed soldiers running right and left.Peeping through one of the second floor windows, Phollia counted a dozen MS guarding the building, with at least one mobile SAM launch vehicle within view.She casually walked to the third floor and got lost.After five minutes of endlesss searching she found Sergeant Rokam Erson standing guard outside a door at the end of a hallway.

Phollia paused as she noticed Erson's suprised expression when his head shifted to face her, carely he hadn't expect her, then he smiled.A rare commodity, even for him." He's inside, alone."

Phoillia nodded and walked inside, leaving Erson to close the door behind her.At least now there would be no disruption, for as long as she was inside.As she had expected Velaz stood before a map on the far wall of the areas west and northwest of Unterrem city, with blue and red maker markings depicting troop movements.Judging from the large number of red markings when compared to the blue ones, she surmise those were Guild units.

" So how's our rather rapidly made Operation going so far, General?" Phollia asked, taking a seat in one of a dozen chairs around a square shape wooden table and raising her feet on the table.

" Better than we could have hoped for," Velaz replied." When the guard regiments commander left Unterrem to pursue the 3rd Battalion, they left Unterrem wide open and only with half his remaining forces and of course they were disperse out to widely. We basically took Unterrem city with acceptable casaulties, minimum damage to the civilians infrasture, louds of fuel, ammo, weapons and Lupus spare parts.Judging by the emblem and insignias on some of those units to the west, he could be the same commander leading the forces to retake Unterrem."

" Most be pretty riled up...and pissed off," Phollia observed warily." Whats the troop composition.Doesn't look like a full regiment."

Velaz turned away from the map and stared at the only window in the room." Two battalions, possibly three.They tried and failed on recent push, it cost them several mobile suits and three Laspers.Probably testing our defense lines for any weakness. I've ordered Captain Elywarm to move the 4th Battalion near the former Guild base near Arnes. That'll keep our northeastern flank free of Guild units for awhile."

" Its not our northern flank we should be worried about.Its Opan AFB that worries me, once the airstripe at Fort Nirka becomes operational, Opan will be on us faster than you can deploy reinforcements," Phollia said, word of a Guild fighter force massing at Fort Nirka had reached their ears nearly two hours ago and judging from the reports, it was big." Ground troops we can handle to some extent, but both ground troops supported by constant air-support, thats to much even for us."

" What does Aragon have to say about that."

Phollia scuffed." That its already operational and ready to began air operation any time now."

Velaz sigh, before turning to face her." Might be best to began Phase Three, sooner than we thought."

Phollia looked up in surprise." Phase Three.We've barely completed half of our plan operations.Its to soon, much to soon."

" We never expected Kalaro to fall so soon, that changes things completely."

" Phase Three can't began until we deal with those Guild units west of here," Phollia began.

" I'm working on that," Velaz began." Once the fourth moves into position, we'll began a series of probe attacks."

" When is the fourth expected to be in position."

" Thirty-six hours, forty-eight at the most," Velaz replied.

Phollia rosed to her feet, not completely sure she was hearing right." We don't have that much time.We'll be lucky if we have twenty-four hours remaining, left alone last thirty-six."

Velaz turned to study the chart intentively." Can't be help, we don't have the forces available to move this quickly and of course Fork Point isn't exactly supplying manpower to our cause."

Phollia began walking to the door." Alpha Company is on leave until oh-eight-hundred-hours tomorrow, it gives the specialist time to bring our MS back to full operating status and gather all the combat data from our extended engagements.We'll move out at oh-nine-hundred-hours as per-planned.Just make sure your intel guys have accurate information for us by then.Don't want a repeat of what happen in Deikumia."

Velaz nodded, but continued staring at the charts muttering to himself." Damn Fort Nirka, if only it had lasted another twelve hours."

_**Kalaro Isles**_

Orsini was guided into General Urakove, CO 84th Airborne Division office by a Staff Sergeant, just as the massive man hung up a phone and looked up as he entered, the SS closed the door behind him." Colonel Orsini is it, please sit. I'll be with you in a minute," he said, before turning to the only man in the room, an Air Force Colonel, also Urakove's acting chief of staff." Is the mission ready to proceed, Colonel."

" Yes, sir." the colonel responded." A squadron of B-41 and TRN-19D will attack the Deikumia bases at Fort Bolus; eight fighter-bombers from the Buchus will attack Quela AFB and Naval Base near the Capital.Twelve fighters from the Buchus will provide primary air cover to the northest, backed up by fighters from Fort Nirka; Buchus will provide air-and ground-base air defense cover for the northeastern fighters.The attack will be prefectly coordinated so that all attacks are simulthaneous and that air defense fighters will launch and cover the strikers' retreat, without alerting the Deikumians that an attack is imminent."

" And what about the status of the current Deikumian Air Force?" Urakove asked." The Foundation still have an active combat-air patrol around the capital all the way to Fort Bolus."

The Colonel grin, showing bleached white teeth." We outnumbered all Deikumia aircrafts by a factor of three to one," he responded." As you've ordered, we shall launched three fighters for every one of theirs. Our own intelligence confirms that the Deikumians own HF-11s are as good as are own Ra Laspers, but they are no match for a swarm of our Laspers and Ra Laspers."

" Very good," Urakove said." And the preparations for a counter-attack by their own fighters?"

" Radar sites from Mateuss and VeiNoir base are now fully operational.The radar site at Fort Nirka is expected to be online within the next six hours.We'll be able to cover the entire island with radar capable of detecting any aircraft within short range," the Colonel hesitated a moment." With the current levels of minovsky particles around the bases and harbours, long-range detection is almost impossible for at least another four weeks. We'll be using two AWACS at high altitude with there radars synchronized and controlled by the master combat information center aboard the Buchus as a long range medium to detect incoming aircrafts at long-range."

" And what about our preparations for the follow-on attacks?"

" We are ready, sir," the Colonel reported." We have two fighter bomber and one additional fighter-ineterceptor teams ready to fly follow-up sorties when the first one round of attacks prove successful.The slowest element in the follow-on sorties will be the carrier-based aircrafts, so we split their forces into two bomber and two fighter elements, to provide continous air defense patrols while the bombers land and depart.The elements from Fort Nirka will attack the follow-on targets immediately.In addition, other squadrons will be standing by to continue striking targets if you so order."

" Excellent, Colonel, excellent," Urakove said." The first sorties of operation red spear will began at exactly oh-six-hundred hours.Colonel, make sure our pilots are well rested and intelligence reports, flight paths and weather conditions are kept up to date.If the Deikumians moved a SAM site, I want our people to know about it within an hour after its new position is confirmed, so we can blow it to hell. Get on it immediately Colonel."

" Yes, sir."

Orsini watched the young Colonel leave the office; must have been a battle-field promotion, the Guild Air Force, Army and Navy was full of those lately.He turned his attention back to the General as the door closed.

" My people tell me you have a problem with a lost aircraft and that you need a couple of my battalions and my aircrafts to go take it back." Uracove asked.

" Yes, sir.Just a few troops, just enough to capture and secure Mokis Isles if need be," Orsini replied.

General Urakove picked up a large brown folder and handed to Orsini, curious Orsini flipped it open and stared at the face of a younger version of the young man that had reportedly stolen the Gizen (r), the picture was clearer, but several years old." Quite a few prisoners from Mateuss base, including several intelligence types had an interesting tale to tell.Once we had them talking of course.Seems that young man there may or may not be a living member of the Noire Knights. And not just any Noire Knight, a Lieutenant from Ratheon Institute Mobile Suit Basic Course training programme, A-rank if i'm not mistaken. As far as our intelligence are aware, no one whose manage to make it to Phase Three traiing is alive today.We have no way of determining if this information is correct."

Orsini hissed slowly as he clench the paper tightly as he stared at the photo with palable hater." Private Kailyn Starken. This is a record of his enrollment in the Army at fifteen.Thats rather young to be joining Kalaro Defense Force. Phase three you say. Sonofabitch, this guy's already a walking killing machine.I have no doubts he's a Noire Knight. Glad I know now what I've been up against, this changes things."

Urakove leaned forward." Graduated at the top of his class if I may add, which would explained why he was selected for Ratheon even at his young age, what you have there are the only records of his existence.None of the Ratheon recruits records exist anymore.If this pilot does have a mobile suit more advance than our Lupus X and happens to be a living, breathing A-rank Black Knight.It would explain how he manage to evade detection, capture an ESF aircraft intact, murder its crew and escape.Someone like that Colonel, cannot be allowed to live for very long.Time and constant battles provides experience, and experience is our worsts enemy."

_' You can say that again.This guy's killed more Elites in the last three days than any one person._' Orsini thought." Do I have two of your battalions and those fighters."

Urakove chuckled." Two Battalions, my dear Colonel. I'm sending three battalions with full fighter and bomber support.I'm not taking any chances or leaving a single loop hole so they can escape this time."

" My sentiments exactly General."

Urakove nodded." I assume you have a plan."

Orsini replied." Still in the planning stages, once I have the troops--

" Consider them on loan. I've told my people to give you their full support, anything you ask for is at your disposal. How soon can you move out."

" By oh-seven-thirty-hundred hours, General," Saluting, Orsini moved towards the door once he had gotten a nodd of dismissal.

Everything was now in place, only the arrival of the HAT was delaying the operation from commencing and it wasn't expected until early morning. With renewed strength and determination Orsini open the door and walked out.Things as they stand, was moving ahead smoothly so far, there was just one more thing he had to get ahold of while the HAT was still at Senna AFB. It was bound to come in handy in the near future if all else fails.

_**Gener City**_

Shopping was one of the few pleasures she could honestly say she enjoyed over the last few days.Vicati glanced once at her list with an endless marks. Fresh supplies of toothpaste, toothbrush, mouthwash, seven bras ( one cup to small), eight panties, five tank-tops, two combat boots, three leather strap slippers, several short sleeve shorts, shampoo, hair conditioner, ankle length pants, army trousers, bed sheets and blankets and half a dozen other accessories a woman needed.In less than three hours Vicati realized she had successfully blew away eight hundred credits. At least it was free cash, not even the LFA paid its soldiers and she'd just been given a thousand credits out the blue.

She made one final stop at an outdoor resturant and enjoyed a bowl of vanilla/chocolate icecream with a single strawberry on top, before rejoining up with her shop-mates in the humvee borrowed from Ody base for the Nemesis crews resupply trip.No one spoke, the four of them road the few kilometers to the Nemesis in silence, each one in their own minds, dwindling in their own thoughts.But that thought turn to amazement and confusion as the humvee approached the Nemesis. Their were soldiers and technicians around and atop the Nemesis, several humvees, water tankers and Gyriqs everywhere around.

Vicait grabbed her over-stuffed luggages and headed for the hangerbay as several warrant officers or specialist began dumping empty boxers in a pile several feet away. She had to pass four 55 gallon steel drums with there top open, passing close to one Vicati could see it was three quarters full of a flammable liquid.

She turned to one of the WOs with a filter mask on working on another." What are these."

He looked up at her and then back at the drums, before stepping back away from the deadly fumes, while removing his mask." Lieutenant Starken ordered these from Ody base."

She glanced around, Kailyn wasn't in sight, nor was Tabaro or Athan, probably on the bridge, curiosity nagged at her." Whats in them."

" About fifty-gallons of jet- fuel, two fulled oxygen tanks wrapped around two 155mm HE shells each and ten pounds plastic explosives on a timer." the WO replied as he began downing his mask." LT wants them done in the next six hours and I haven't a clue what there for."

Vicati nodded, she now had far more questions now than ever before.Those four drums were one giant naplam explosive waiting to happen.She barely made it to the quarters she now shared with Private Torres Alena; the Nemesis communications and combat operations officer, with her heavy load.There were suppose to be four females and eighteen males aboard, with only eight double bunked quarters, two officers quarters and a total of four bathrooms.The females had two quarters and one bathroom to themselves; no exception, Kailyn and Tabaro had made that very clear, while sixteen males shared one bathroom and fourteen bunks, only Kailyn and Tabaro had their own quarters and bathrooms.There was a smaller bathroom with a shower head in the medical lap, but she doubt anyone would be using that.The thought of having her own bed, even if it was only for awhile was slowly appealing to her, back in the Gia Heights region, there was ten times as many people with not enough bathrooms, and no privacy. Hot bunking there was as common as dry rations for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Onboard the Nemesis she had all the privacy she wanted, better food stocks and much more.

She toss both luggages on the bottom bunk, one at a time and selected a change of clothing, before heading for the shower, a fresh bar of soap and a vanilla scented shampoo with conditioner in one hand, newly brought towel. She washed her hair and showered in one of three shower stalls as best she could with only three gallons of water; mentally hating the programme three gallons when she would prefer to used as much as five gallons right now. She quickly dressed a fresh pair of trousers, combat boots, a black bra and sleeveless grey t-shirt. Her hair took fifteen minutes to brush out the knots and twist into a knot.

Satisfied with herself, she exit the bathroom and found Athan walking outside towards the simulation room also the tactical operations center." Whats with all the extra man-power."

Athan looked back in surprise and stared her up in down with almost a sly grin before frowning." I was looking for you, seems our new captain wants the mobile suit pilots in the sim room and that includes you and me."

Vicati eyes narrowed as Athan stared at her like a wolf would a lamb and wondered if he loved breathing." What for."

Athan shrugged." He really plans to hit Fort Nirkas air-field and looks like he may want our help going in. Like hell we are. He wants to do a suicide run, he's on his own."

Vicati contemplated that as she made a quick stop to her shared quarters and headed back into the sim room. It was easily twelve by twleve, with four simulation capsules; two on each side and a table in the center with a holographic map of the ocean between Kalaro and Mokis Isles. She recognize Major Efla, CO 7th Mechanized Light-Infantry Battalion, Tabaro, Kailyn, Athan, the Nemesis pilot( for some reason he prefer to be call Pilot now) with a note pad in his hands, Master Chief Petty Officer Irwin Delewares who was in charge of the mobile suits and the operation of the hanger-bay, Warrant Officer Rence Norton who was in charge of the Nemesis weapons and an unknown person stood gazing over the map display. Seven pairs of head turned to face her and most merely turned back to the display, only the unknown person and Efla remain staring at her a few seconds longer.

Elfa turned to Kailyn." Is she-

"- She's cool. She's a fellow MS pilot with knowledge on hit and run tactics, I'm sure she'll have an idea or two for us soon enough." Kailyn said, without looking up from the map; for the briefest of moments Vicati felt impress, here she was actually wanted." As I was saying, we'll used four, keep the other four hidden."

Tabaro spoke." Wouldn't using all eight guarantee a more successful mission, rather than just using half ."

" High chance they'll be tracked all the way back to Mokis and that won't be good," Kailyn replied and trace his hand, several kilometers east of Kalaro isles." We took this route coming to Mokis Isles, so minovsky particle along this route will be higher than normal, and making radar detection harder, but that's not guaranteed.Minovsky particles don't work well in the atmosphere and with the winds changing regulary. One reason why we have to do this very soon."

" Like you said, the timing will be the tricky part.If only the Guild cooperate the way we want them," the unknown person said.

Vicati kept silent as a plan was made without her having the slightest idea what the group was talking about and it was slowly getting frustrating, she did not like being kept in the dark even though it clearly wasn't intentional." What exactly are we planning."

" Operation: Duck Duck Goose," Kailyn replied without looking up." We're the unlucky Goose."

Athan smirked." No kidding, we get to go where the Guild can shoot us out the sky and if were lucky we'll live long enough to get capture. I still say, we leave before we kick a beehive.You said Mokis isn't worth the Guild time, we leave the Guild alone at Kalaro and they'll probably leave Mokis be."

" No one cares what you think, Athan," Kailyn replied with a hint of malice in his voice, his eyes never leaving the holographic map." Your here as an observer, so observer and keep your lip sealed. People like you cause more trouble than your worth.Beside probably don't work for me, I prefer assurances"

" People like me, oh you mean Lucanites. So what' you have a problem with Lucanites." Athan hissed.

It was clear as daylight that these two didn't like each other, but Vicati had to inwardly confess, Athan seems to be the one picking the fight although she already knew who would win hands down.Very few people; in fact no one she was aware of could take three bullets and be back to walking around less than seven hours later and acting as if it never happen.Something just wasn't right with Kailyn and she would find out what it was somehow.

" Nope, I mean cowards." Kaily lifted his head and stared Athan in the eyes." Tell me, you think attacking Fort Nirka is a mistake."

Athan didn't hesitate in replying." Damn right it is."

" Even though this operation will likely reduce the Guild having aerial superiority over Deikumia, reduce the air threat to the LFA in Unterrem and establishing a potential base that can be used as a future staging area for a land invasion in Deikumia." Kailyn asked.

Athan placed his palm on the table and leaned foward." So you keep feeding us.I say your spitting bullshit.This is a suicide mission, we'll be lucky enough to get close to Kalaro isles, let alone able to drop your precious bombs. Tabaro talked him out of this, before he gets us all killed."

" Vicati, what are your thoughts on this operation," Kailyn asked suddenly." Is it worth a try or should we listen to your CO and leave the Guild alone to get a foothold on Kalaro without attempting to prevent what we all know will be a disaster in the future."

Vicati nearly jumped upon hearing her name being called, especially by a person she didn't know and a voice she barely recognized, but whose mannerism and calm expression was so familiar. She looked up and suddenly found herself the center of attention. She turned her head and found Kailyn looking directly at her, his eyes unmoving, almost as if he was stripping her naked with his eyes.She turned away knowing her face was about to turn bright red and broke whatever connection there might have been.She began to sweat and her knees felt weak." I'm all for kicking Guild ass where ever they are."

" I can't believe this, you agree with this operation, this is nothing but a revenge seeking mission thats not worth our lives. Vicati this has nothing to do with Unterrem or Lucan, he just wants revenge for getting jumped by a couple of Elites this morning," Athan voice was nearly pleading, but to Vicati it sounded like a broken recording.Something about this operation sounded right to her, she couldn't place it, but it was just one of those things you knew you had to do, but couldn't tell why you had to do it.

" We have the flight path, departure time is almost complete.What about the weather reports," Tabaro asked trying to change the subject quickly.

The pilot of the Nemesis stopped scribbling and looked up." The last four hundred feet maybe a bit of a problem. Unless we plan on doing two passes, we can only partially damage one runaway and fully crater the rest. Its impossible to take out all four in one pass."

" I've already thought about that. That's where Vicati comes in and the second reason why I want the hanger bay door opened," Kailyn said.

Vicati looked up in surprised." I'm not combat dropping on Fort Nirka."

" Heck no, where'd the heck you get a crazy idea like that!!" Kailyn said." I just need you and your mobile suit at the end of the hangerbay entrance popping as many 420mm bazooka rounds, with one giant gift basket on a specific airstripe at specific time. The Guild'll probably repair the damage in an hour or two, but thats two hours of work and no aircrafts is going to be landing on that runaway, until the damages repair. Unless we do a second pass."

" Ones taking a risk, two would be suicide, lets just go with the current plan," Norton said." I'll go check on my people make sure everythings loaded, checked, re-checked and ready to go. Lieutenant you don't need me here."

The unknown person spoke." I'll go as well, I need to look at those missiles. Runs some tests on them before we take them along with us."

Both men left and Vicati watched and listen as a partially completed plan was slowly improved upon, new routes and timing were added, while others where changed.The plan called for luck, the Guilds inability to react quickly enough, while doing exactly what they normally do and worst of all more luck.The door open and Chef walked with a tray loaded with eight glass fulled with liquids, two of which looked like some sort of smoothie and it was one of these Athan took without hesitation.Chef made a gesture to stop him, but he downed half the glass in one gulp.

Chef looked at him and turned to Kailyn, Kailyn merely shrugged and took the second glass." Thanks, how long before your re-arrangements in your club."

" Five hours, maybe six.We pretty much have to remove the bolts and then drill into new spots without damaging the integrity of the Nemesis airframe, but still making the new seats and tables strong and of course covering the old holes," Chef answered.

Kailyn glanced at the digital clock on the corner of the map display.1734." See that your done in eight hours or by oh-three-thirty hundred hours."

Chef nodded, hesitated as if he had something to say and then stated." There's twenty-two people on board, thats almost sixty-six meals a day.Two people can't handle that by themselves. I'll need another hand in the kitchen to help with the minor work once we set off."

Kailyn nodded." Fine, take Athan to start off with once the operation is completed. You can talk to Norton and Deleware and have some of their people working two shifts a day after we have things sorted out."

Athan perked up immediately." I don't take orders from you, and I'll be damn if I'll be working in a damn kitchen."

Vicati saw it first, the same cold stared Kailyn had given Athan back at the hangerbay several hours ago, Kailyn said nothing his eyes piercing into Athans.It sent a shiver down her spined and raised the hair at the back of her neck on end.Athan snickering expression vanish like a puff of smoke in the wind, Vicati knew, that Athan knew, that there was some people you did not mess with, and this Kailyn guy was definitely one of them.

Kailyn expression change just as well and she sighed inside, but her hands wouldn't stop shaking." Like I was saying Chef, he's no used to me in this Ops, so you can have him and do make sure he carries his weight around.If he wants to eat, shit and sleep on this aircraft and not get thrown overboard with only a life-raft and a weeks worth of water.He's going to have to earn his spot. Wait, he's going to have his own problems in a few hours.That thing you drunk Athan, its a family elixir we like to call ambrosia, the food of the gods if you will. Take my advice, don't stray to far away from the bathrooms."

Vicati turned to Athan, his head was held low and he was mumbling to himself, but he didn't disagree or mouthed anything off. Vicati turned back to face Kailyn; who was this guy, her hands still hadn't stop shaking.That cold glaring look one moment and a normal expression the next was familiar, she had seen someone do that before and the fear of having those eyes lock on you was the same. But where had she seen it."

Kailyn was talking to Efla." I need those homing anti-radar missiles in six hours. It doesn't matter how many, just the ones you can get within operational status by then."

Major Efla looked at the time, before speaking." I think we've covered all the basis concerning my people side of the plan, I'll head back to Ody and brief my fighter crew. My XO is more than capable of handling things, but he can't make life or death decisions as yet. All I can say is good luck on your end of the operation and maybe we'll see each other again some day." Efla snapped to attention and saluted, everyone followed suite and watched him leave.

Kailyn turned to Tabaro." Since your the acting captain when I'm not in command, guess you get to copy the mission plans and hand them out to the necessary personals.Pilot, you have six hours to sleep, used them.We get on the way two hours after your awake. Vicati same with you, everybody goes to sleep until oh-four-hundred-hours."

Vicati nodded, only because she was tired and sleepy, after three hours shopping in Gener city.Her body was exhausted and screaming for rest.Secondary she needed to get as far away from Kailyn as possible inorder to catch her bearings, for some reason this guy scared her with ease.Not a fear of danger, but a fear of obedient.She was first out the Sim/Tac room and into her quarters within a few seconds, only then did she began to calm down.Looking around the room, she began removing the elites bunk sheets and blankets off the bed and replacing them with ones she had only just brought from Gener.Their combat boots, uniforms and personal clothings in the compact closet went in a pile on the floor ( after digging through the pockets of course) and she replace the empty space with hers, leaving half a space for Alena.The rest of her clothing would go in the mobile suit pilot locker in the hangerbay; atleast the clothings she didn't mind people seeing.

She was done when the door beeped and hissed open five seconds later; only Alena knew the access-code and she popped inside, looked once at the pile of clothing." Out with the old and in with the new, your making yourself comfortable."

"If I'm staying in here, I don't want to be smelling those Elite clothing at all," Vicati replied as Alena threw off her boots and climbed the metal stairs to the top bunk and plopped into bed." If I'm lucky I'll get six-and-a-half hour of sleep or I'll probably toss tell the operation starts."

Vicati glanced at the digital clock on the far wall. It was 1917 hours.If she hurried, she might get in six hours of sleep herself or as Alena said, spend most of the time tossing and turning.Grabbing an arm full of clothes she headed for the pile of boxers she saw outside when they'd arrive from Gener earlier.She had heard someone mentioning it was going to be one hell of a bonfire to provide the necessary smoke screen and heat as they lift off.

Five hours later, an alarm connected to her bunk monitor awoke Vicati, she rosed quickly and pulled on a pair of trousers over her boyshorts, awoke Alena who mumble once and snapped up, staring around wide eye." What the...what time is it."

Vicati glanced at the clock." Its time."

l

Meanwhile,Tabaro Wilisk was standing on the metal staircase looking in the hangerbay, watching Vicati's Grave go through its final maintenance checks, when those exact words run across his mind.He wore a blue t-shirt with no markings or emblem, with a newly brought hiking boots, thick and leathery.Like Kailyn, he was one of the few that were unable to make the trip to Gener city, so like a dozen others, he had someone do his shopping for him.

_' Athan might just be right about this operation_,' Tabaro thought as he stood watching for a few minutes longer, until he glanced at his watch and sighed._'I better get to the bridge_.'

He glanced once more, his mind on a far away place, and even amid the sounds of the Grave powering up and shouting soldiers and missiles and weapons being loaded or transported, for a brief moment, he had hope this mission might just be what the doctor ordered.

Tabaro walked quickly to the bridge, where the crew where in the midst of completing the final pre-flight checks and took his seat in XO seat below the captain chair.Kailyn was already seated in the captain chair and never once looked down at him, but merely whispered." Last chance to walk away, old man."

Tabaro stopped buckling the safety belt and checking the valve on the emergency oxygen supply before replying." Then I'll miss all the fun."

" Fun, you mean party," Kailyn replied before turning his head the quarter of an inch he would need to look at Pilot." She's all yours pilot, get us off this rock and on a southwestern heading of two-five-nine. You all know the plan, lets do it like we planned and we'll all live to tell a tale of all tales in a few hours."

Takeoff was short and almost a smooth lifting sensation in the darkness outside Gener.After the area was scanned twice for any unidentified aircrafts or vessels.The Nemesis rosed slowly into the air under a cloud of black smoke from the burning boxers and turned to face south-southwest, instantly blasting 1000 feet above the ocean as it left Mokis Isles behind.Tabaro couldn't help but notice the smoother ride, it was as if they weren't moving at all, only the bow and aft camera picture on his monitor indicated they were airborne.The last time they were airborne they were running away from Kalaro Isles, after a humiliating defeat that took alot of lives.But that was almost a lifetime ago, it seemed.

The launch itself brought the same thrill of fear into Tabaro's heart as riding a rollercoaster.He remember the first launch, each rattling, each noise, each shudder. Pilot had definitely improved his skills a notch in the last couple of hours.

And this operation was going to be more direct.They had planned it over a few hours, and most if not all the planning had been done by Kailyn-- a mobile suit pilot, planning an aerial bombing run, no less!-along with his charts and Ody base commander.The enemy would be numerous that much was certain, better equiped, better prepared, and they would be defending Kalaro as if it was their own home territory.But Tabaro had agreed to come along--he couldn't back out now.He had to prove to himself that he really had the stuff to fly into combat, whether in a mobile suit or aboard an assault carrier.

Just thirty minute after take-off, over the Southern Lagrange ocean, they change course after conferring with Ody base controllers.They were now easily 100 miles from Mokis Isle and more than 285 miles from Kalaro, completely out of radar range of a Guild E-3A Scano radar aircraft, should there be one keeping track of flights going and leaving Mokis Isles.Pilot alter his heading to match their exact planned route and began climbing to 45,000 feet, with as little power as possible as not to give off to much heat.All electronic generating system were shut off, only the communication officer kept her comm open for tens seconds out of every ten minutes as planned.Just long enough to report their exact heading, speed and the time which had to be sychronized with Ody base.For this operation to work Ody base had to know where they were for their part of the operation, not only for it to began, but for it to succeed.

The Nemesis only and biggest concern was Kalaro Isles.They had and still continue to pick up strong airborne radar and air defense signals from more than 200 miles out, shortly after their course correction.Kalaro was alive with air defense systems--mostly new and state-of-the-art systems, Fort Nirka was flying early-morning air patrols as well.The majority of the Guild interceptorss on patrol showed on the threat scope as TRN-19Ds, with a few TRN-19Fs in the mixed." Looks like they're making themselves at home already," Tabaro commented watching the blips on his own screen." Practicing for a major ops I'd bet."

Just then, one of the Lasper fighters, swept its radar beam across the Miska-class--and the green triangle representing its search radar changed to yellow, indicating tracking mode.But, thankfully, the fighter's radar broke lock a moment later, and he did not re-acquire.

Kailyn leaned slightly to Tabaro." That was close, we're dispersing minovsky particles as a cloaking shield, but we're also moving forward. We move any faster and we run the risk of flying out of our own made minovsky particle cloaking range.Good thing its night and even with night goggles, they can't see us outside of ten miles."

Tabaro paused thinking." Your saying if we fly faster than we can disperse minovsky particles outward.We'll fly outside our only way off reducing radar detection."

" Pretty much, the Nemesis can push minosvky particles as much as three hundred meters per second around us. We can only keep it up at our current pace for ninety minutes, best part we're flying with the wind and not against it. Guess you don't need a hint to tell you what will happen if we we're flying against the wind." Kailyn said.

Tabaro swallowed a loose lump in his throat as he slowly realized how much they were tempting fate. This part of the plan he hadn't known about." How'd you come up with an idea as using minovsky particles as a cloak against radar detection.I've never heard of something like that being done before."

Kailyn wink." Watch, study and learned.I plan on being out there and not stuck in this chair, so try and pick up a few things that'll help you survive longer."

' _Watch and learned, we're riding at the edge of the abyss and he says watch and learned,_' Tabaro thought.

The communication officer lifted the ear-phones slightly off her left ear." Ody base has began Phase One. Estimated time of interception, twenty minutes. Major Efla says this is the last communication and good luck."

Tabaro nodded and flipped a comm switched." Fifteen minutes people."

Norton replied a few seconds later." Missiles are lock, loaded and ready. Just say what you need and when you need them, my boys are ready to reload immediately if need be."

Tabaro flipped the switch off and turned to Kailyn." No turning back now."

" Nope, in we go," Kailyn agreed while shifting in the seat." Time to start dancing with the devil."

l

Mobile Suits and Aircrafts stats

Version ( model number): Y-18C

Code-name: Covera Ar

Manufacturer: Neron Avionics

Operator: Guild Socialist Ministry

Accommendation: Pilot and operator in canopy style cockpit

Unit Type: Hover-type gunship

Length: 15.7 meters

Height: 12.3 meters

Wing span: 4.9 meters

Armaments: Tri-barrel 40mm gatling gun, 2x 20mm rotary cannon, 8x HE rockets, 4x HEAP anti-armor missiles.

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Version (model number): TMS-19A

Code-name: Gizen

Manufacturer: Trifecta Isles

Operator: Guild Socialist Ministry

Crew: Pilot only, in panoramic monitor/linear seat cockpit in torso

Height: Head height 14.2 meters

Weight:Fully loaded 48.9 metric tons; empty 22 metric tons

Armor:Tetra metal/tensil titanium/high ceramic composite

Powerplant: Type TX-1A Ultra-compact fusion reactor; output rated at 1860 kW

Propulsion: Rocket thrusters: 64500 kg

Performance:Maximum thrust acceleration 1.32G;180-degree turn time 1.49 seconds

Equipments and designe features: sensor range 5000 meters

Fixed armament: 2x 40mm vulcan cannons, fire-link, 400 rounds per gun, mounted in head;3-slot rocket propelled grenade, mounted on right shoulder; heat sword, stored on recharge rack on left waist armor rack;

Optional fixed armament: MS-TS1S3 4- barrel 25mm Gatling gun, built in shield, mounted on left forearm

Optional hand armament: TMG-23/R2 90mm heavy assault machinegun, spare clips on waist armor rack.Load all assortments of Guild built handheld MS weapons

l

Version (model number); TMS-19B

Code-name: Gizen ( refine)

Manufacturer: Trifecta Isles

Operators: Guild Socialist Ministry, Kalaro Defense Force, Lucan Freedom Alliance

Crew: Pilot only, in panoramic monitor/linear seat cockpit in torso

Height: Head height 14.4 meters, overall height 14.8 meters

Weight: Fully loaded 49.3 metric tons; empty 22.6 metric tons

Armor:Tetra metal/tensil titanium/high ceramic composite

Powerplant: Type TX-1AR1 Ultra-compact fusion reactor; output rated at 1880 kW; later upgraded to 1935 kW ( Kailyn unit only)

Propulsion: Rocket thrusters 64955 kg; later upgrade to 65325 kg ( Kailyn unit only)

Performance: Maximum thrust acceleration 1.31G upgraded to 1.33G; 180-degree turn time 1.42 seconds, upgraded to 1.38 seconds ( Kailyn unit only)

Equipments and design features; sensor range 5000 meters

Fixed armament:2x 40mm vulcan cannons, fire-link, 400 rounds per gun, mounted in head; 2x 2-tube multi-purpose launchers mounted in chest; heat sword, stored on recharge rack on left waist armor rack;later replace with Seraph heat blade.(Kailyn unit only)

Optional fixed armament: MS-TS1S3 4-barrel 25mm Gatling gun, later removed and replaced with Seraph heat blade, mounted in shield, mounted on left forearm;( Kailyn unit only)

Optional hand armament: TMG-23/R2 90mm heavy assault machinegun, 42-round clip, spare clips on waist armor rack; MR/AR-X90 Juri 60mm assault rifle, 20 rounds per clip, spare clips on waist armor rack and in shield;G5 380mm bazooka, 5-10 rounds per clip, spare clips in shield; TMR-B-46/J 420mm bazooka, 10- rounds per clip, spare clips on waist armor rack;TAU-21C 40mm gatling gun, 100-rounds per pod. Upgradd and modified to carry all known mobile suit handheld weapons ( Kailyn unit only)


	18. Chapter 17

**Mobile Suit Gundam: Vanguard Blitz**

**Chapter 17**

_**45,000 feet Above the LaGrange Ocean**_

" Jingle-305 flight, Headhunter, vector heading one-two-six, take altitude gales twenty, your bogey is bearing zero-seven-one-, zero-six-zero bull's eyes."

"305 flight copies," Lieutenant Arthuro Dinivo piloting the two-ship lead TRN-19F Ra Lasper flight, responded.Perfect timing, he thought--he had just about taken on a full tank of fuel, and his wing-man, a Lieutenant Junior-Grade Barley Fystren fresh from Val Caras harbour had tanked a few minutes earlier." Vinetail-230, disconnect," the Lieutenant hit the AR/NW/DISC button on his control stick and watched as the large cloth-covered basket-shape refueling drogue popped off his refueling probe on the left side of his cockpit. The CT-31T tanker quickly reeled in the drogue and cleared the flight of two TRN-19F Lasper fighters from the Buchus, to bottom of the refueling block .Once level 2500 feet below the tanker, the TRN-19Fs excuted a tight right turn and headed northeast to their new vector.

" 05 flight, check," Dinivo radioed as soon as he finished his post-air refueling checklist.He knew Fystren would be finishing his checklist as well, and then hurrying to catch up and stay in formation, which for them was loose fingertip formation.

" Six," was Fystren quick reply.That meant everything was OK--fuel feeding Ok, full tanks or nearly full as possible, instruments OK, systems OK, oxygen OK.Dinivo looked at his fuel and deducted about half an hour's worth of his wingman and a bit more "_ for the newbie and dead_" and guess he had about two hours' worth of " flight time" to find out what had force him out of bed so early in the morning before heading back to the Buchus, which was already 400 miles behind them now.

Each TRN-19F Ra Lasper was similiarly equiped for this medium-range intercept: two 1,200-litre external fuel tanks on the pylons under the engine air intakes; two radar-guided AS-10s MRAAM( Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles) and four AS-9Es Scouters short-range heat-seeking missiles on the wing glove pylons; and two huge AS-12 Thunder long-range radar-guided missiles on the fuselage stations.With the Buchus battle group two hundred miles from Kalaro, the primary threat to be countered by the TRN-19F patrols should be coming from the north, in Deikumia, not east in the direction of Kazan.This far out those threats should be fighter-bombers or long-range patrol aircrafts, which is why both Ra Laspers carried two Thunder missiles per fighter- the Thunder Missiles had a range of over one hundred and fifty-five kilometers ( forty kilometers in a minovsky permeated environment), well within radar detection range but far out of the range of most of the air-launched anti-ship cruise missiles that exist today.In fact only four known air-launched anti-ship cruise missiles had a range that equal or surpass that of the Thunder.

A few minutes after receiving their vector from the E-3A Scano radar plane, which was part of Headhunters squadrons, orbiting 200 miles northeast of the Buchus battle group, Dinivo radar got a weak signal on his radar." Weak radar contact, zero-nine-eight miles, off the nose.That contact was already in range of his Thunder missiles.Shit thats close."

" Jingle flight, thats your bogey," the Scano radar officer said, verifying the Dinivo's radar contact.The TRN-19F now took over primary responsibility for the intercept, but the radar kept loosing its lock every other minute, almost like.

' _Minovsky particles'_ The lieutenant swore..." Headhunters picked this guy out at almost two hundred miles--thats well inside its radar range," the lieutenant observed, thinking out loud.He's gotta be big.Range zero-six-seven miles.Altitude Gales forty-five, speed...shit, speed eleven hundred."

Any hope it was a patrol aircraft vanish, it was doing speeds equal to a fighter, but its sized judging by the weak radar picture was equal to a bomber.

Just then, Fystren shouted." I'm picking up a second bandit...shit Lieutenant, second bandit climbing through gales forty-eight... gales fifty, speed eleven hundred knots, picking up multiple bogeys now, right behind the first bandit...passing through gales forty, speed eleven hundred knots...bandit one and two turning north-east and accelerating!"

" Missiles," the Lieutenant shouted, jamming his throttles to max afterburner and raising the nose to pursue.On interplane frequency, he yelled." Home base, confirming figther launched missiles.I am tracking four fast-movers passing gale fifty, speed Mach two-point-one..."

" Go weapons hot, go weapons hot," came the hasty reply.Any fighter this far out from Kazan had to have a tanker nearby for refueling and it was outside Kazan territory and no Guild pilot ever gived up on an easy kill. But first those missiles had to be intercepted.

" Newbie you got the second pair, I got the first," Dinivo shouted over the interplane frequency.

"Six!" came the strained reply-- Fystren's heart was in his throat right, just like the Lieutenant's; his baptism of fire was at hand--you could hear it in his voice.

In the blink of an eye, Dinivo was in range, and he fired his first Scouter missile--the ninth time in his career he had launched the heat-seeker.He squinted against the glare as the Scouter raced off its rail and arced to the right and skyward in the dead of night, the blast of the Scouter engines rattling his Ra Lasper wings and shaking the canopy.Dinivo had to pull his Ra Lasper in a hard right turn to keep it from losing control.When he was sure he was stablized he locked on, fired a second Scouter and a third, now on a tail chase.Dinivo wondered if he had chosen wisely, should he have fired off his Thunder missiles instead, he began thinking about launching his fourth Scouter as an insurance, but by then his first Scouter had blew pass the incoming missile, locked on its exhaust plume and turn to give chase at Mack two point three, within seconds it had successfully intercepted the first missile and the second had two Scouter tracking in on it.Without hesitation he change course and give chase after the two bogeys that had launched the missiles.Hoping to close within range of his long range Thunder missiles.

The lieutenant watched as four fast movers came from the east on an intercept course chasing after the bandits.Judging from their speed and IFF signals, they were Laspers fresh from Senna AFB and were probably on night patrol over Fort Nirka when the missiles had been launched.They closed in quickly and the Lieutenant watched the chase in facination.He saw a blip appeared and then another climbing behind the retreating bandits, and then those two new arrivals suddenly turned to six.He knew it before those four new blips speed went to fifteen hundred and three flashes were seen in the dead of night, they had been sucker into an ambush, giving chase directly into range of two waiting fighters.Then a few seconds later, he saw three huge light bulb POPS! of brilliant white light very high in the sky." Sonofabitch, we just lost three Laspers," the combat officer aboard the E-3A Scano reported." Jingle-305, bandits are retreating, can you intercept."

" They're long gone, thats an impossible," Dinivo replied, he could give chase, might even close the distance enough to fire off a Thunder or two, but he wasn't about to fly into another trap.Fighters carried up to six missiles and those two bogeys had only fired two apiece and add that to the minovsky particles that were hampering his radar ability to track anything at long range, he'd never know when he was being tracked until it was to late.

The Fystren was successful in intercepting the two missiles." Got both missiles!" he shouted happily." Got em!"

" Bandits have retreated," the combat officer aboard the E-3A Scano reported." Jingle-305, bandits are retreating, fly heading three-one-three, maintain gale thirty, this'll be vectors back to your tanker.Jingle 306, sqawk normal...306, radar contact at gales three-three, 305, your wingman is at your four o'clock, twenty-miles, above you."

" 305, roger," Dinivo acknowledged.As he waited for his radar to lock on to the Ra Lasper behind him, he held out his right hand in front of his eyes--his hand was shaking." Newbie," he said on the interplane, " those Kazanians just launched an air-strike against us.We lost three Laspers."

" Those were fighters launching those things.This far out without tanker support, can't be done," replied Fystren, his breathing was coming through the interplane in gasp.

" Well someone sure did, lets join up with that tanker and re-fuel.The suits can debate what just happen," Dinivo said, changing his Ra Lasper heading to intercept the new tanker. Even as word reach their ears that the Buchus had launched its third E-3A Scano with fighter escort, this one would likely be oriented to the northwest to provide maximum radar coverage around the entire battlegroup.Ironically this was the first time in the last forty-eight hours they had three Scanos airborne at one time.

_**Aboard the Nemesis**_

" Judging from the high level of radio chatter, I'd say those HF-08s from Mokis most have did there thing," Alena said, turning to face Kailyn seated in the captain chair." But I can't be sure of anything with this minovsky particle cloud surrounding the Nemesis."

Kailyn sighed inwardly as he contemplated his options, if everything was on schedule then those four HF-08s fighters launched from Ody base had just completed there part of the operation and were already heading home, which meant the Guild attention was now directed eastward.But if the HF-08s were more than five minutes behind schedule, then they were only now accomplishing there part of the plan.The drawback of having a minovsky particle cloud surrounding the Nemesis was that little to no electro-magnetic energy could penetrate the cloud; just as electromagnetic energy radiated from the assault carrier was also blocked from leaving.The end result was nothing short of a infrared tracking sensor could track the Nemesis and even that had a slim chance of that happening.

What ever decision he made, had to be quick, cause there would not be enough time to second guest himself." Close minovsky particle dispersion vents, pilot increase speed on my mark.I want a full surface and air search radar scan on my mark, no longer than than three seconds."

The radar operator turned at that."Three seconds.A standard radar scan is one second max.Three seconds is plenty of time for the Guild to track us."

Kailyn sounded irrated when he spoke again and the radar operator knew that he had made a tactical mistake second guessing Kailyn's orders." Do a three second scan. Pilot now."

Outside, the vents releasing and dispersing minovsky particles around the assault carrier were shut-down, almost immediately the pilot increase speed forward exiting the minovsky cloud within seconds later. Even before Kailyn could nodded to the radar operator to began his three second radar scan, he saw the diamond around a "9" symbol on the threat scope began to blink on his arm chair monitor, and they all heard a high-pitched, faster deedledeedledeedle warning sound."" That was fast.Height-finder active!" Kailyn said.Even as the weapons operator placed his hands over the MAWS and ECM buttons.

Just then, both diamond and the '9" symbol began blinking, and the computer-synthesized voice announced," MISSILE LAUNCH...MISSILE LAUNCH...The radar weapons operator immediately hit the MAWS and ECM buttons. The Missile Approach and Warning System was an active laser missile defense system on the Miska-class designed to actually protect the assault carrier by turning the two twin barrel 60mm cannons into forward CIWS, or fire laser beams that destroyed a missile radar-seeker head and not just jam a missile's tracking systems.As soon as the GA-9 Cavor missile launch was detected, four small radar domes extended from a compartment near the Miska-class's tail, the left wing, the right wing and the assault carriers' nose, the radar slaved itself to the azimuth of the GA-9 missile site, and the radar began scanning the sky for the missile itself at its maximum range of five miles.

But none of that was needed, as soon as the radar operator yelled he had what they wanted, the minovsky particle vents began dispersing the particles around the Nemesis once again and the aircraft vanish out of any radar scope as if it was never there. But the weapons operator had already ejected a bundle of chaff--thousands of thin slivers of metal that would create huge radar-reflective clouds in the dark sky and hopefully decoy the Air search radar--and also sequenced the ECM ( electronic countermeasures) tracks' jamming signal to allow computer-controlled jammer-free " corridors" that would "point the way" for the radar to lock on to the cloud of chaff. He had pretty much given the incoming missile a decoy to hunt.

As the GA-9 Cavor missile rose through the sky toward where the Miska-class had been, it went through the minovsky cloud, blinding its radar tracking head and fragging the missile's guidance electronics.In less than four seconds the Cavor was deaf and blind, flew harmlessly behind the assault carrier, and then self-destructed as it began its death plunge toward the LaGrange ocean.Two seconds later, two offshore AA batteries activated there short-range radar and immediately began pouring a hail of tracers and flaks in the area the missile had exploded, but the Nemesis was no longer in that area, and the two batteries only reveal there positions.The two AA batteries quickly receive a pair of AS-11s for their troubles.

The radar operator turned around." Confirming multiple missile sites, three Ra Laspers, one CT-31T and one E-3A. All within thirty-two kilometers."

Closing his eyes, Kailyn contemplated his next command, the idea that an AWACs was less than twenty miles from their current position was unbelievable, not when those powerful aircrafts with there twenty foot rotodome were capable of detecting an aircraft from as far away as 300 miles in good weather and it was well within the range of the Miska-class assortment of missiles, especially those Thunders missiles.Destroying an AWACS was not part of the plan, but no one in their right mind would second guess taking out one of those invaluable rotodome aircrafts, he knew what his next command would be before he spoke." Target two Scouters per fighters, two Thunders for that CT-31T and E-3A Scano. Target a mixture of AS-11 and HARM missiles at all long-range radar and SAM sites within our pre-planned course. Prepare for full barrrage."

Below and beside him, Tabaro began repeating his orders to Warrant Officer Norton, who began inputting the necessary informations into the computer.The Miska-class could fire twenty-four missiles simulthaneously before the launchers had to be reloaded; which of course took four minutes with training, but all of his men, including himself had only just learn how to reload and fire off the missiles. Satisfied, Norton checked with both missile crew on each side of the assault carrier before buzzing the bridge." Ten air-to-air and fourteen air-to-surface missile armed and ready."

Tabaro looked up from his monitor." Ready."

Kailyn nodded." This is it, Pilot take us out once more.Cut all minovsky dispersion vents.Armed chaff and flares.Tabaro make sure they know to reload with four Thunders, ten AS-11s and Scouters. Weapons operator, if search or tracking radar lights up, it dies, used the missiles wisely. Its time to dance."

l

It took twenty minutes for the two TRN-19F Ra Laspers to joined up and maneuver themselves behind a new CT-31T tanker.The radios were crazy with chatter.The Buchus was launching an additional four flights of RA Laspers, bringing the total number of flights to seven of two total, the third E-3A was now in position which now increase the combat air patrol by 400 miles around the carrier.

Dinivo had just maneuvered his Ra Lasper behind the CT-31T tanker and was setting up for a run in towards the lighted drogue when suddenly they heard." All units, all units, pop-up bandit bearing two-three-six, three-seven-miles, gales forty, speed three-zero-zero knots, all Jingle units, say fuel status and stand by."

" 305 flight's on the hose, ten-point-one!: Dinivo shouted as he rushed toward the drogue for at least a token on-load.But the harder he plug the drogue, the worst he did.He finally got the tanker to fly straight and level for longer than normal so he could plug the drogue; he took a fast five thousand pounds and cycled off." 305's clear."

" 305, vector to new intercept new bandit, heading two-seven-eight, gales forty," the combat controller aboard a different E-3A Scano ordered, Dinivo quickly realize that the new voice was from the new Scano launched earlier to cover west of the Buchus battle group--sure enough, a massive blip had sneaked in and was now within 265 miles of the carrier!" Go single ship, 306 will follow in trail."

" 305 copies," Dinivo responded, banking to the vector heading and pushing his throttles up to military power." Headbanger, be advised, 305 will be bingo fuel in two-zero mike, I only got a token load.I'm down two Ps."

" Copy that, 305, break, Jingle-306, top 'em off, you'll be west CAP ( combat air patrol) when your leader bingos.Say you state."

Feystren replied quickly." 306 copies, I'm down two Ps also.I'm on the hose."

Dinivo wasn't able to lock on the massive aircraft until it was within 250 miles from the carrier and just over 90 miles ahead, but the new E-3A had three Ra Lasper closing in on the target and they were miles ahead of the Lieutenant's Ra Lasper." Stand by for anti-ship missiles, home plate," the lieutenant yelled." Stand by!"

Just before Dinivo was in position to launch, the combat controller aboard the E-3A began yelling." Bandits launching missiles. Multiple missiles inbound."

It happen so fast, the Lieutenant didn't see it happening, and they were expecting an attack on the carrier, not on anything else.Before anyone could react, the unknown aircraft had launched a mind staggering twenty-four missiles and ten of those cut through the skies at Mach speed--they weren't going for the carrier, but at the three Ra Laspers, the CT-31T tanker and the third E-3A Scano radar plane.

Even more shocking was the missiles were Guild built Scouter and Thunder missiles.Flying at speed of Mach two and higher and fired well within thirty miles, the Thunder missiles were already devastating weapons at long range and these were fired at half their maximum range.Even though the E-3A shut down its radar and took evasive action, the missiles were already tracking the aircraft with its own onboard radar. It could not miss.All two Thunder missiles plowed into the Scano's left wing and twenty foot rotodome, stripping it from the fuselage and sending the entire aircraft spinning into the sea, right behind the flaming wreckages of the three Ra Laspers and tanker.

The Lieutenant could do nothing as the remaining fourteen missiles continued on course towards Kalaro Isles.He considered pursuing and going at full afterburner to try and get within Thunder missiles range of the veering aircraft, but the nearest tanker was far behind him.With the tanker ahead of him now destroyed, his only hope was to refuel with the one behind him or make a crash landing on the carrier itself or worst in the LaGrange ocean.Swearing, Dinivo turned back towards the tanker.Just maybe he could get some fuel and still get his revenge.

_**BolZie harbour**_

Corporal Irenove worked with the intensity of a young man who not only was able to do what he undestood, but love doing it--tracking a single large contact that suddenly appeared seemingly out of nowhere, passing that information up the chain of command, answering incoming calls--using technolgy.He was one of the few who actually depended on military's small monthly income; because it was the only source of income his family had coming in.For that reason alone, he worked harder than most.Improving his skills, while hoping and praying until the day he would become an officer, even an E5 ( Sergeant) if only because the pay was better.

Now, he knew that a number of friendly contacts had disappeared of his radar scope and that a rain of antiradiation and air-to-surface missiles had began.To turn a radar on at this moment was to invite death; he did not.He had a mother, a cripple father, a younger brother and sister to continue feeding back at home.Dying right now would benefit no-one, especially not him.

Yet, through the eyes of a radar on a hill thirty miles behind him, he was able to watch the unknown aircraft come in. A trailer door behind him open; the SAM missile battery commander asked." What's going on here, why haven't you launched those missiles at that contact."

Irenove stared at his CO with mute shock, mentally wondering if insanity was part of an officer's trait, he wasn't to thrill about activating their missiles: why make them a target, when they didn't have to be.

The commander of course wasn't having that, he brushed pass Irenove and went to the small platform where the master control systems was and activate the fire-control radar.Irenove looked right and left at the frighten faces of his comrads as the missile swivel in its launcher and decided on his own to take an early break an bolted away from the missiles as fast as his legs can take him.The fire-control radar stayed on for less than ten seconds before a HARM missile, launched seconds before, identified the radar signal as a first-priority target and zeroed in for the kill.

Irenove was thirty feet away when the ground rumble beneathe him and he felt a sudden weightlessness sensation.

_**45,000 feet above Kalaro Island**_

Athan Corhoris sat in the head and felt his entire gut shiver, as if there were ice there instead of fire that seemed to explode both under and around him. It had been getting worse for hours, diarrhea like something you picked up in some god-awful cave where you couldn't drink the water or from spoil fruits.The medical lab had given him some pills, what a joke.

" Jeez, Athan," a voice said from the next stall." What'd you do, swallow some of the ordnance?Shit, if I smelled like you, we wouldn't need to bomb Fort Nirka with missiles."

" Screw you man. I'm dying here."

" I'd tell you blow it out you ass, Athan, but that seems to be your specialty.Whoo-hoo! Sonofabitch, ask them to drop you on Fort Nirka will you?"

His hands was still shaking.He knew it had to be that weird drink he had in the sim room.It had tasted sweet, but yet bitter at the same time.That Kailyn guy had told him he was fucked and to stay near the bathroom; of course he didn't listen.Fucking glory seeking Black Knight.Fuck him.Let these suckers follow him to hell if they wanted to. Thinking the name alone made his stomach heaved and his heart beat increase; he knew it without thinking, he was truly afraid of Kailyn.Regardless of how you view that guy, Kailyn was a certified remorseless killer inside a mobile suit and out. He'd witness it first hand at the Latanna plains and at Fort Nirka. He'd seen the pile of bodies outside the Nemesis and the pools of dried blood inside when they'd acquired the assault carrier, those were the left-over marks of a killing machine that could only have be train by Ratheon Institute.

Athan felt his bowels let go again.The pain in his abdomen was increasing with each passing hour. How long would this last.His insides heaved and squirted and he groaned aloud from the burning sensation.He couldn't keep this up for long, the mens bathroom was starting to smell of shit and more than half of the crew would be using this; thanks goodness it was the men.But there was nothing he could do short of using the girls bathroom and that alone would be worst than death if he was found out later.

l

" Down to thirty bundles of chaff, Captain," the weapons operator reported to Kailyn as he stayed focus at his terminal that was receiving and endless update from the radar operator." Thirteen kilometers until we reached Fort Nirka."

Kailyn considered that option, chaff was alright, but it wouldn't do jack against a heat-seeking missiles." Considering how deep we are at the moment and the fact we're still flying unscathe Sergeant Atrenic--we're doing pretty good so far. Just keep us that way for another twenty minutes and this'll all be over."

" Yes, sir," Atrenic aka as Pilot replied." Eight kilometers to go." As bad as the anti-aircraft fire was, the young gunnery officer was glad to be part of this operation. Whenever the threat warning receiver beep, he found the cause as swiftly as possible.Moments later a surface-to-air or if any were loaded a HARM left the launcher, a few moments after that, the threat tone abruptly ended.But they were getting closer and closer to Fort Nirka with each passing seconds, sooner of later they'd be alot more threats than he had missiles.

As if to agree with his assumption, the Nemesis's threat warning receiver began beeping non-stop now as they cross into Kalaro airspace, the first and second long-range radar at VeiNoir and Fort Nirka had been blown to smithereens around the same time those aircrafts had been destroyed. The only long-range radar tracking them was at Mateuss base, but it had to have been damage, considering three missiles had been fired off in its direction.

A short-range radar from Kalaro picked them up and immediately a GA-9 was launched from eight miles out before the weapons operator could pop a ASM towards it, it was like a nightmare come alive.The bridge crew could actually see the missile lift off, its bright rocket-motor plume clearly visible in the distance.They could see the bright yellow arc as it described a powered, semi-ballistic flight path through the sky.The pilot barked to the weapons operator as he dropped to 38,000 feet.The weapons operator punched out chaffs and flares, even as the pilot racked the assault carrier into a tight right turn using max back pressure on the control stick to get the tightest turn--but the Cavor followed.A second Covor went up followed by a third.The Guild missile crew knew that the attacker might evade the first missile, but doing so greatly reduced the attacker's speed, which made it likely that a second or third missile could claim a kill.The pilot dropped another 5,000 feet; Vicati, Gihger and Delewares in the hanger bay heard almost constant warning tones as the pilot edge lower and lower, trying to evade the missiles.When the pilot banked hard, the warning horn sounded constantly, and the hangerbay crew feared that it would be the last sound they'd hear before crashing on the ground.

" All chaff and flares expended," the weapon operator said turning to Kailyn.They would be going in nearly unprotected now.

" Three kilometers to Fort Nirka," the Pilot yelled." Course and altitude correct."

" Informed the hangerbay to get ready. Began marking designated targets and began opening bomb doors." Kailyn ordered.He felt a rumble in the Nemesis thickly armored fuselage as five massive" barn door" bomb doors opened, each one carried ten 5000-pound unguided missile on a rotating launcher. Kailyn of course was only interested in certain hangers that once carried vital repair equipments, missiles, mobile suits and parts. Living quarters and messhalls wasn't worth a missile barrage." Expect another missile barrage or AA radar. Destroy anything that pops up from now on with AS-11s. Began."

" One Kilometer to Fort Nirka," the pilot yelled.

" Missiles evaded, tracking multiple fighters converging in on us," the weapon operator said.The weapons operator began designating targets for his AS-11 missiles, identifying occupied buildings that looked as though they were head quarters or communication centers, and at the same time took shots with the twin barrel 60mm cannons at every power transformer, large vehicle, fuel-storage tanks, or anything else that he thought might disrupt things down on the base for a few days.

He targeted known important buildings from memory with AS-11s-- the communication stations, the armories, the power transformers ( although he doubt it'll do much good)--and began shooting out lights and lighted doorway with the 60mm cannons. If it moved suddenly, he made sure it died quickly.

Every hard bank through the hangerbay occupants harder and harder against their safety harness, but each jarring move made Vicati smiled inside her Grave seat." They same to have things well in hand," she said to Delewares on the intercom, turning her Grave as best she could and stepping on the leg locks.The noise level was very high in the Nemesis's hangerbay because they had left the hangerbay door wide open--it would make it easier to do what they needed to do once they got over Fort Nirka, only the blast shield was up and behind Vicati, should she suddenly activated her backpack thrusters.

When the order to began drifted into her comm, Vicati level the 420mm Bazooa barrel outside the hangerbay and took aim.Beside her Grave feet, MCPO Delewares made a final check on the four drums, before releasing all four, five seconds apart.The drums dropped like stones, behind the 5000-pound gravity bombs, one landed on a hanger and crashed through the metal sheet roof and landed on the floor.Gallons of jet fuel began gushing out from within the drum, several armed Guild soldiers surrounded the drum and stared at each other in confusion, while others run out the open hanger door to escape. Inside the drum, a digital-timer counted down to zero and suddenly there was a flash as the drum exploded into fireball, that spread out with help from the ruptured oxygen tank and exploding the 155mm shells within the hanger and killing all those unlucky to remain inside the hanger, the explosion blew huge sections of steel into the sky and gouging out large sections of the hanger.Those not lucky enough to escape the explosion, died from smoke inhalation.

Several hundred meters a ready-force of twelve Ra Laspers and Laspers were going through final pre-flight checks.All were fully armed and fuel for their upcoming mission and disperse over a wide area.One drum landed between two Laspers.The explosion followed seconds later, killing the pilots and a dozen ground crewman as the fighters fireball into the sky.Several secondary explosions rumble around the aircrafts as other fighters and helicopters caught fire and exploded.

None of this Vicati saw directly, at over 25,000 feet there was barely a flash of light in the distance to indicate an explosion of sorts.Through the night-vision goggles she'd gotten, the world was a green, artificial place.The ground was featureless now.Behind them, the sky was ready to show light from so many fireballs and explosions, although ahead the stars were bright and sparkling.

Suddenly her radio exploded into static, and she realized she was listening to the bridge and it was her time.It took two seconds to find the eerie looking runaway that snaked northeast, the only one of four that looked like it hadn't been damage; the others looked like a moon after a meteor shower. Taking a deep breath, she aimed at the center and fired one 420mm bazooka shell after another, she manage to fire off seven shells, never knowing if any were on target, before she was out of range. But she doubt she had miss and if she did it wasn't by much.

_**Aboard the Buchus**_

" Combined radar reports a high-flying aircraft believe to be the El Nino leaving Kalaro airspace heading south-east at twenty thousand feet, speed six hundred kilometers per hour," General Aldeno reported." Fort Nirka radar and air defense force appears to be off the air."

" Unbelievable, how can they let this happen," El Virion swore, the reports had been coming in non-stop for ten minutes now and still no one had an inkling of an idea what was going on at Fort Nirka." Whats the status of our aircrafts."

" One AWACS, one tanker and three fighters destroyed.Should I commit CAP fighters to pursuit?"

" Yes, Aldeno, immediately," the Buchus commander replied." We should have commit our forces to Mokis almost immediately once we learned that those damn elites had somehow, manage to get one of their aircrafts stolen. Something like this could have easily been avoided."

" I'm ordering the repositioning of our second AWACs to the east to track the target; his ETA is fifteen minutes...Standby..." It took only a few moments." We have reacquired the target, sir, bearing zero-nine-eight, range five hundred kilometers, speed six hundred kilometers per hour--appears to be slowing down considerably

" Possibly damage," El Virion said." Now may be a good time to shoot it down and destroy it for good."

" What the...target appears to have vanish," Aldeno rush to the nearest station barked once at the AWACS controller to fly further out and then turned to El Virion a minute later." Target appears to have disappeared off our radar."

" No!" El Virion shouted, slamming a fist on his seat in anger." Impossible how could it just vanish! We were so close! Aldeno, I want every fighter we have in the air right now! I don't care if we shoot at every bird or every cloud in the sky that even looks like a large assault carrier.I want it done, and I want that assault carrier at the bottom of the ocean! Now!"

" Sir CAP flights 306 and 305 currently engaging target. Range six hundred kilometers..."

" Six hundred kilometers, it must have double back, but why," El Virion asked.

" The AWACS is tracking the battle." Aldeno stopped and looked at his commander." The Scano? Could that assault carrier be going after the radar plane?"

" Get him out of there! Have him take evasive action. We've already lost two of those aircrafts today." But it was to late. The Miska-class assault carrier launched four Thunders and a mixture of twenty AS-9Es and AS-10s, all of which home in on one aircraft or another within range and destroying five Ra Laspers and seven Laspers in under a minute. All four Thunder home in straight and tru on the E-3A, sending it quickly spinning out of control into the LaGrange ocean.

El Virion slumped in his chair staring at his own monitor shelled shocked, the AWACs was a vital radar aircraft for defense, interception and bombing missions and he had just lost three of them in less than eighteen hours.One AWACs could not hope to protect the entire battle group from an air attack from Deikumia that will surely come, should they somehow find out how vulnerable the battle group had now become." Quickly Aldeno, take us to within a hundred kilometers of Kalaro isles. Inside its remaining radar and fighter coverage."

Aldeno looked up." What about the Elites aircraft. Should we dis-engage."

" Without a radar plane coverage, we're sitting ducks for the Deikumia airforce. Forget it and do as I say," El Virion barked, he feared having his carrier in such a vulunerable situation, but until he replace his AWACS squadron, which could take some time, considering their losses were already heavy.He would not put it in a situation to get sink, not now, not ever.

_**Aboard the Nemesis**_

" Threat scope clear," the weapons operator said slumping in his chair, his eyes beamed with a mischievous grinn on his face. The Nemesis began leveling at 10,000 feet above the ocean and continued on a south-eastern heading at 500 kph." We've got a few GA-9 site at VieNoir searching, but so far we're..." And then, a Ra Lasper appeared on the threat scope.One of a few that hadn't been shot down and it was already in missile range and still closing-in.

" After what we just did to Fort Nirka.I'm not the least bit surprised we pissed someone off," Tabaro said, watching the display in mix shocked and fascination." He's gotta be on a suicide run."

The radar operator spoke quickly." He's still headed for us."

" I've got no more chaff or flares..." the weapons operator added, sending chills down everyones back, except Kailyn.Suddenly they received a " WARNING, MISSILE LAUNCH!" as the Ra Lasper fired from eighteen miles out.

" Stopping panicking and calm down. Reactivate the MAWS missile defense system and ECM. Is the hangerbay still open," Kailyn said, mentally remembering how is father had been in similiar situations for days on end.Tabaro gived him a nodded." Then pop flares, bazooka rounds or missiles out the hangerbay."

" Track breakers active, MAWS tracking!"the operator said. They could all actually see the first missile, probably a Scouter or worst a Thunder missile, dicpicted on the threat scope, getting closer every second... then another " WARNING, MISSILE LAUNCH!" as a second missile was fired from long-range.

The MAWS laser emitter married to the missile tracking system, had a deadly effect on delicate, sensitive combat sensors such as those found on heat seeking missiles, passive and active-radar homing missiles and immediately locked on and began firing its high-powered laser at the incoming missile destroying the infrared seeker head, allowing the IR seeker's computers to deliver false aim-correcting data to the missile-just for about a second, but long enough to knock the missile out of its nice, smooth intercept.At the same instant the MAWS laser hit, Pilot threw the assault carrier into a hard left break, just as Delewares fired off two hand flares and let loose half a dozen metalic objects out the hangerbay, while holding on to his safety harness for dear life.Vicati was unsure of what to do, but decide in milliseconds they were in deep trouble and began firing off her last three 420mm bazooka rounds out the hatch.Just maybe those small rocket motors would generate enough heat to attract that missile.The Thunder missile wobble, reacquired, locked on the metal debris and 420mm bazooka rockets, decided they weren't moving fast enough and rejected those locks, reacquired the assault carrier--and hit the right wing, near the frontal multi-purpose launcher.The shaped-charge missiles' warhead punched a four-foot-wide hole in the wing, destroying the right wing ruddervators and rupturing the second tube in the multi-purpose launcher.

The Nemesis heeled sharply to the right, flipping at nearly sixty-degrees bank, throwing the assault carrier into a full accelerated stall.Pilot tried to correct the turn, but had trouble controlling the massive aircraft." Controls not responding!" he shouted to Kailyn." We lost the right ruddervators...c'mon, dammit, give papa juice, give papa some juice! It took a full minute, then full left rudder trim, to straighten the assault carrier.

" Lost the right ruddervators," Tabaro confirmed." Left ruddervators are deployed fifty, sixty percent.Powerplants, all other system OK.Fuel looks like its draining out the right wing...plasma conduits undamage... right wing valves are closed, all engines feeding off the left wing, boost pumps on.Hydraulics OK. Engines one and two show an increase in temperature, nothing serious."

" Ok, Tabaro," Kailyn said, tapping his monitor screen rapidly." I can read the reports coming in as well.Second missiles gone after the flares, lucky for us.Pilot, shut down engines one and two and keep heading on a course of one-three-six as best as you can and get us outta of here.Tabaro find us some place to land as far away as four hundred and fifty miles from Fort Nirka.Even a large island will work."

Tabaro turned and looked up." What about Mokis Isles."

" After what we just did to the Guild, you really want us going back there," Kailyn replied, switching from one map to another, he found a small island ( if you can call it that) south-southwest and easily four hundred eighy-five miles fom Fort Nirka." Got one, its unname.Pilot alter course on a heading of one-six-one."

" Why are we going to another island," Tabaro asked as he to gazed wearily at the small rock on his screen, looked like a flat pancake." And why so far away."

Kailyn unbuckle his harness." A damage ruddervator is very bad news.Its has to be repaired, before we can go anywhere.Then there's a chance of a Guild fighter coming after us, unless that fighter has a tanker support, its not going beyond five hundred miles from its home base."

" This island is four hundred-eighty five miles, isn't that--

" Taking a chance, not really.Even this far out stretches a fighters' fuel to the limit.If they send anything after us, it'll be after day breaks. Right now they have enough problems to deal with," Kailyn replied, slidding out of the captains chair just before turning to the weapons operator." Send me everything on the attack to my computer terminal in the captains' quarters.Then review everything, I want to know how well we did, what targets we hit, how many aircrafts destroyed, review everything.Use a second pair of eyes if your not sure, I want confirmed destruction, not partials.Tabaro, your on weapons expenditures detail, find out what we have and what we used.Everything.This time I don't want to be on the ground longer than need be."

Tabaro nodded as he rosed and took the captain chair, the captain computer had more access to information on the going ons around the assault carrier." What about you, where will you be."

Kailyn grimaced." Checking with the doc, I think I busted my bandages with all that jostling around.Good work everyone, you just launched your first successful strike against the Guild and survive." Kailyn smiled inside as he turn to leave the bridge; his father had once told him, congratulating a crew once in awhile on jobs well done always had some good benefits later on.

And today they had successfully launched their very first counter-attack against the Guild and they had walked away, alive.There would be others, that much he was sure.

_**Outskirts of Fort Nirka**_

" Do we know for sure with the atmost certainty that it was the El Nino assault carrier?" Colonel Orsini asked in a low, bitter voice.Even as he overlooked what was once Fort Nirka; once again turned into flaming fireball of destruction and this time it wasn't by the Guild hands." One hundred and ten percent certain."

" We never got a visual ID, sir," Gily replied. Gily had called Orsini out of a sound sleep in one of the nearby apartments in the midst of the attack, and now they were less than two miles outside Fort Nirka overlooking a seemlingless endless cloud of black smoke, red fireballs and secondary explosions that was making the rescue crews work even more dangerous.Orsini scanned the hastily written report on the attack." But its sized was estimated by both the radar operators onboard the last remaining Scano, a surviving fighter pilot, and based on its range at which it was detected, it had to be a large bine with its speed, weaponary and altitude, then add in the type and flight characteristics of the missiles it launched--both Lieutenant Dale and I agree it was the Miska-class assault carrier, The El Ninos."

" They just flew right over Fort Nirka and dropped their bombs and flew right back out, what the hell was those defense force commanders doing or those fighters."

" It was already in missile range by the time it was detected," Gily replied." The Buchus batttle group lost their airborne radar platform, three fighters and a tanker before they could access the situation properly. At the same time both long-range radar and several surface-to-air missile sites around Fort Nirka went off the air. Minovsky particles made communication and radar tracking almost impossible, no one knew what was going on or could make contact with their commanding officers."

" In other words chaos ensue and everyone forgot there training.Whats the damage so far."

" Bad, they couldn't have hit us at a worst time.More than half of our bombers and fighters were already fully fuel and armed in preparation for operation red spear," Gily said." Those exposed fuel tankers and missiles increase the damage several times what we would have normally received.Three of the runaways are cratered beyond used, number two has the wreckage of one B-41 bomber that never had the chance to lift off.The control tower, the communication network and most of the fuel dump was hit. Then there's the casualty list, it keeps growing every other minute.The body counts already at four hundred and thirteen dead.That was fifteen minutes ago."

" Operation: Red Spear is of course cancel until further notice.Whats the status on the HAT, she should have arrive by now I believe."

" She's in the air circling at thirty thousand feet as of ten minutes ago.The only runaway we have available suffered minimum damages, but repair won't commence until they've sorted things out.That of course could take several hours before anything is decided," Gily answered, a thundering sound reached both their ears and ripple-effect under their boots.Gily turned around and watch Lieutenant Dale's Marauder approached slowly.

At ten meters distance, it stopped suddenly and knelt as the cockpit hatched open.Gily was surprised that Dale had return so quickly, but then again he had survive a direct bombing run while hiding in one of the hangers; all of which were still burning husk of metal frames now, even after thirty minutes.

His face was twisted into anger, a look Gily had never before seen." The General's dead--Urakove's dead, those sons of bitches used our assault carrier to kill the General and most of his battle staff. The survivors are trying to keep things quite, but its only a matter of time before word gets out. We have to go after them sir, we just have to."

" Unless we can land the HAT, that's highly unlikely at the moment," Gily said, shaking his head." Given what's happen here, we need to re-access our situation before making a hasty decision." He paused for a moment, then said," They're long gone by now."

" I've already check runaway four, beside some small craters that might give a fighter some problems, its pretty much useable for something the size of a bomber or the HAT," Dale said, Orsini turned around quickly," The navy was able to track the El Nino as it flew southeast after their attack, we know they change course once before flying off our scopes. Right now she has a ninety minutes head start, which will grow the longer we stay put doing nothing."

Orsini contemplated his options quickly, his operation to hit Mokis Isles and destroy the El Nino was on hold indefinitely, that much was certain.His primary goal had been to detroy the El Nino, would it return to Mokis Isles after this dearing attack.He highly doubted it, his enemy was ruthless and surprising very dearing.No, they woud not return to Mokis, that alone would draw a future strike.If not to Mokis where, Orsini closed his eyes, contemplating what would he do if he was in the enemies shoes.His eyes flew open in a flash, there were LFA units onboard, would they head to Lucan.No, they headed southeast and not northeast, why.What was out there.'

' Of course, unless they plan to cross into Kazan's air-space a direct flight route is impossible.But going around Kazan would intel taking a southeastern route,'Orsini chuckle, his instincts told him he had hit the nail on the head, but if he was wrong, he could be chasing a loss cause.He knew the El Nino's maximum speed was 565 mph and its cruising speed of 527 mph, but those were just hastily made specs. At those speed the El Nino's engine would overheat within eight to ten hours and be force to land, for the Miska-class to truly circle the globe several times non-stop, it had to maintain a steady speed of no more than 485-500 miles mph, roughly 805 km/h.

The HAT being a transport, was built to carry heavy loads for extended range and its thermonuclear engines had been designed to handle such strain.Cruising at a top speed of 515- 535 mph indefinitely for an HAT was not entirely impossible. If those fools really intended to circle around Kazan territory in order to reach Lucan as he anticipated they were planing on doing, the trip could take longer than two days of flight.Orsini began calculated quickly; even if the El Nino maintains a speed of five hundred and ten miles per hour, it would still overheat within ten to sixteen hours, even at that speed we should be able to over-take them within fifty-eight to sixty hours, if we can be airborne within four hours or less. Orsini anticipated the HAT could get within range even sooner if they were yet unaware of the Miska-class short comings.But he doubt they were not aware of it as yet.

" Contact the HAT immediately and began landing procedures, I want her on the ground and turn around as soon as possible," Orsini ordered, his mind and heart bristling with hope." How fast can we be airborne again."

Dale nodded and run to his mobile suit, five minutes later he popped his head out of the cockpit hatch smiling." ETA fifteen minutes, it'll take thirty minutes added to that to turn her around and another hour to be on our way."

" We have no idea where they are or where their heading," Gily said flustered." By the time we launch, they'll have had a three to four hours head start on us.How are we going to catch up to them when they can travel faster than an HAT."

Orsini began walking towards the humvee." They maybe faster, but they can't keep that speed longer than we can. If we hurry, we may have them on our radar in forty-eight hours or even by this time tomorrow, and that's all we need.Lieutenant Dale, oversee the HATs landing and have it turned around immediately. Gily, get our equipments ready for transporting aboard as soon as she lands.I want to be airborne and on the chase in two hours and not a minute less, is that clear."

Gily stared before replying." I'd like to go on the record as saying I think this plan of action is foolish, sir. Considering what just happen here."

" So be it lieutenant, Fort Nirka is not my problem." Orsini replied not caring about Gily retort, he had not lost them as he had thought he had, he just might regain contact if he hurry, Orsini barely took notice of Lieutenant Dales' Marauder raising to its feet and began thundering ahead towards the cratered runaways as Orsini turn the keys in the ignition and slam the stick on reverse as Gily jumped into the passenger side of the humvee muttering to himself.' I'll have them soon enough.'

_**27 kilometers west Arnes town, Lucan**_

The Guild commander was placing heavy demands on his artillerymen early that morning, as night slowly gave way to a new dawn.The LFA guns, including the mains guns of Tera Cias had barely fallen silent when the sky to the west lit up with distant flashes, followed by the now familiar rumble of the enemy artillery.At first, Phollia thought that it was counterbattery fire searching out for their own artillery or Tera Cias base that had been pounding away at the Guild all night.After stopping and listening to the barrage for five minutes and unable to detect any sign of it letting up, it became obvious that this was more than counterbattery fire.In all likelihood, it was the preparatory fire for the attack on the LFA positions west of Unterrem.

That of cause was no threat to Alpha Company and wouldn't be for another day atleast.

Phollia gathered the MS team commanders of Alpha Company as she always did, but this time not in some forest or desert, but in an open field at the rear of an MTR, map spread over a hastily setup table and notebook tucked under arm.And this time there was a difference in the attitude of the commanders.The nervous apprehension they had displayed in Deikumia yesterday was gone.Most had shaven cleanly, fixed there hair, wearing new boots and fresh clothing and looked fully rested and not as stress-out as before.That was to be expected.Today, however, there was also a look of pure confidence on everyone's face, a calm, steady look.These men and woman had gone into enemy territory and kick ass, and were now forever changed.

It didn't matter that they had been incredibly lucky, that the task had started out simple and had taken a turn for the worst possible outcome.What did matter was that they had won their battles and any doubts about as to skills, leadership, and each individual's perceived ability to face combat had been temporarily put aside.The company was ready to move forward and tackle its new mission with renewed vigilance.

With Lieutenant Lite, Ahern and Mitsuba present at the table the meeting began with a discussion of the previous day's action.Just as they would have done numerous times after a traning excercise or hit and run operation, the MS commanders gave their account and observations.Then Phollia gave hers.They briefly discussed what needed to be done better next time.With that aside, Phollia moved her palms from off the map and place the notebook in front of her." Our mission is as followed: Alpha Company will began a series of forward leaps that will seized the town of Vesgin.The company will then continue the attack to the southwest to seize a heavily defended hill overlooking Vesgin, continue southwest to the L-41E Highway which we've only now confirmed has turned into a vital supply route for the Guild; thanks to our action at the Vesti river of course and continue south directly behind the enemy forces currently engage with our troops in Unterrem."

Phollia then began to explain the plan of how the company would carry out its new mission.It was basically the same plan that Velaz had explained almost three hours ago.The main difference was that Phollia tied together a lot of the loose ends and explained what would happen after the company got to Vestin.They would be relieve in place tonight by Charlie Company starting at 2200 hours.One MS team at a time will move out of position and begin to move southwest towards the new area of operations.Delta Company, now in reserve, would follow behind Charlie Company on a direct route further northwest to serve as a screen for Alpha Company and as a support unit if the need arises.The entire route of course was not the most direct, as brigade wanted to deceived the Guilds as to the intent of the Companys and the points of attack for as long as possible.If all worked out as planned, the seperate Companys will closed up on Alpha Company and continued ahead with the attack with Delta Company in the lead.

There were aspecs of the plan that made Phollia uneasy.The total lack of information on enemy strength and disposition was number one on her list.The second was the terrain, it was wider and more open than any place they had yet to attack, with minimum chance of a surprise attack and not one single artillery fire in support.Any artillery fire would be what they provided for themselves.Thank God for mobile suits, she thought.After-all they were in a since highly mobile artillery pieces.

" So we basically get the short end of the stick once again," second Lieutenant Ahern said staring at the map as if it held some secret no one else was able to see.

Phollia nodded, what can she say, these men and woman had fought a one sided battle just hours ago and survive, to be thrown back to the wolves so soon..." Lack of forces on our end has force us to consider alternative means of completing these mission. You'll all know your part of the operation, time to saddle up. Time as always is not on our side."

Without another word the group scatter, each MS commander retreating to his or her unit.Inspections and system checks that had not been performed while waiting for dawn to break were completed.All probems that turned up were reported to the platoon sergeants, who in turn pass them to the MS CO, who in turned reported them to the maintenace personnel aboard the five MTRs that were along to provide fire-support, re-arming and meals.There were few if any problems with the MS themselves.Phollia had made sure the ground crews back at Unterrem had triple check every bolt and wiring before departure.The last thing she needed was a faulty wiring impairing a MS critical system at the wrong moment.

At 0734 hours the four MS teams of eleven Graves began switching their MS from standby to combat status and began to move out, three Graves to a team, with only a single two Grave team due to the unexpected loss of Private Novem Kaines, but was off-set by the extra MTR equiped with modified 180mm bazooka on top.Phollia had to give Colonel Lotus and his 5th Tank Battalion a B+ for ingenuity.Lacking an adequate supply of MS in his battalion, his engineers had turn a third rate MTR into a first rate mobile suit killer and it worked to.She'd seen first hand what they did when the Guild left them alone for deadlier catch, many a Guild pilot had regret turning his MSs back on an MTR belonging to 5th tank battalion.

Mistuba took her 2nd Platoon consisting of Sergeant Duparc, Private Histle and one of the MTRs and began moving forward, she put a thousand meters of space between them and the next MS team as had previously planned and began leading the company forward.She hugged the only remaining trees in the area as closely as she possible could, without uprooting them.When she reached a point about thirty kilometers west of Arnes town, she moved onto the road and slowly increase the distance between the teams two thousand meters and went on ahead with her part of the operation.

When eached MS team finally reached the designated speed, Phollia slump in her cockpit and let the advance computer guided the Grave forward, if something were to happen either Second-Lieutenant Mitsuba or Ahern would be the first to make contact and that wasn't expected for several hours; she hoped.Now that they were on the route of march about to hit the first checkpoint along the route on time.This was a good sign.If things continue forward this way, who knows the rest of the operation could be a piece of cake.

Being who she was, as always she expected the shoe to drop any minute now and that was the sole reason she wouldn't take a nap.

_**Runaway Four, Fort Nirka**_

Captain Artina " Lightning Hawk" Raden waited at the foot of his Lupos CT turning his head right and left constantly, even as he gnawed impatiently at his left index finger nail. Every other minute he would glance at the massive aircraft that was an High Altitude Transport or simply put as the marines were now calling it, an AMSC ( Airborne Mobile Suit Carrier).An it was huge, the blunt nose aircraft rosed an astonishing height of 85 meters; wingspan of 810 meters;length of 323 meters, with a hanger bay capable of carrying up to fifteen MS of various types and a state-of-the-art linear catapult in the center of its hangerbay.It was virtually a giant sized MS hanger with double swept back wings.

It was already surrounded by four platoons of three mobile suits on four sides, a triple barrel AA vehicle and one mobile SAM missile with three missiles on its launcher.This elite Colonel wasn't taking anything to chance, he wanted his aircraft protected at all cost and he had his wish, even as the fires continued to blazed in small spots around Fort Nirka base.Which Raden brought to his reason for being here; he knew the Colonel was going after that aircraft that had razed Fort Nirka in ten minutes and killed a staggering seven hundred and twenty-one personnel ( most from secondary explosions, third degree burns and smoke inhalation) and left eight hundred more seriously injured or missing.

Raden had decided he wanted in on the chase, if they were chasing that El Nino assault carrier, that meant they were chasing that pilot of the Gizen (r) and those LFA suits as well and he would not rest until one or the other had dead, by his hands or otherwise.

He glared at the massive internal hangerbay, with mobile suits of various types covering both sides and back out to the raising column of smoke that was once Fort Nirka, then back at his watch, checking the time for the upteenth time.It took a second longer for his eyes to stay focus long enough for him to see the 08:12.Raden muttered under his breathe and glance up at the HAT, seething inside.' Whats keeping those damn Elites.'

As if summon by his constant bickering and impatients, a Humvee appeared racing towards the HAT.It was driving as if it was late for a meeting and kicking up dust on the runaway.Raden couldn't help but scold at it, as it stopped half a dozen a meter from the massive aircraft; even before the engine had stop purring, the side doors popped open and three Elites hurried out.Walking bristly like a man on a mission the Elite Colonel was walking up front, with both Elites behind him trying to keep pace.Behind them the humvee started up and veered away, back in the direction of what was once Fort Nirka, now a smoldering ruin.

Raden had already rehearse his speech so many times it was itched into his memory, but when the Colonel stared at him his mouth went dry and his mind went blank.

" You mind moving your mobile suit, captain, its in our way," the Colonel barked passing Raden without hesitating long enough for Raden to open his mouth.

Flustered, Raden fell in steps beside the Colonel." I'm told your going in pursuit of that aircraft that bomb Fort Nirka this morning."He would have normally say, the assault carrier they manage to get stolen, but decided it won't win him any brownie points.

" What of it?"

" I would consider it an honor to accompany you on this mission," Raden began.

The Colonel slowed to a stop and stared at Raden." In case you weren't paying attention, I'm in a hurry.I don't have the time to request that you be on loan on this mission.Beside, I have a well prepare crew and mobile suits, what exactly would you bring to this mission."

" I'm a Squadron Commander with over four thousand hours in the cockpit of a plane or mobile suit.Namely the AMF versions, there's a very high probability you'll be force into an aerial engagement.Plus I've fought against that Gizen (r) and you'll need someone with the combat experience," Raden spoke quickly and swiftly while moving on to his finale." Plus I know something that you don't!"

The Colonel eyes quirked." Which is?"

" A fighter reported his engagement with the El Nino prior to its escape.He reported a direct hit with one of his missiles on its right wing, the second missile was decoyed away before it could finish the job," Raden wanted to smirked but held himself as he added." Your assault carrier's flying out there with a damage right wing. It can make it only so far before the damage force them to land it somewhere and began repairs."

Without hesitation the Colonel looked at the Lupos CT and then back at Raden before speaking." I could used a mobile suit squadron commander.If you can get your things aboard in te-

" I'm ready, just my Lupos CT and your orders are keeping me out here waiting, sir."

" Then I suggest you get it onboard immediately," the Colonel replied and continued walking." Cause your not that important to wait on."

Raden looked at the two stooges as they walk pass without a word or nodd and made a break for his Lupos CT.Things were finally looking up for him and in a few days, with any luck he might just get his revenge for the loss of his Lupos CT armed.

Eight minutes later, the massive aircraft's sixteen thermonuclear engines pushed the giant down the eleven thousand feet runaway and it rosed slowly into the air like a giant double winged bird and change its course on a south-southeast heading.

_**Aboard the Nemesis**_

Athan stops at a window long enough to stare at the endless rows of tall trees, it was amazing that they found a spot to land this bird.He had to give those Guild some credit, they knew how to build an aircraft, especially one that could land and launch from virtually anywhere, while carrying a full mobile suit team.Well atleast they had survive that bombing run, how he hadn't a clue.Either the Guild were getting careless or they were just that damn lucky.

He turned away from the window and headed for the newly named and renovated Chef Club.The door hiss open and Athan steped inside and stared ahead in amazement.The former Messhall now looked like a small restaurant you found in the middle of nowhere.The 15 by 15 size hadn't increase a millimeter but it sure looked alot more spacious.The three tables in the center had been remove and new tables had been setup in the right corner and directly ahead in the restaurant, four backless looking sofas over six feet long with a grey upholstered cushion ontop, with polished chrome legs that had been bolted to the floor.It even had buttons giving it a quilted look, not to mention it looked like it could serve as a bed also. The four of them could easily seat three persons each or serve as four beds.

A dozen crew members looked up from their meals, computer terminal or magazines, the expression on most faces a mix of curiosity and disgust. Word of his stomach problem had travel around the airship like wildfire, even amidst the bombing runs.There was not a person aboard who hadn't given him the look of disgust or whispered behind his back when they thought he wasn't listening.He had in a matter of a few hours become the laughing stock aboard the Nemesis.

" Whoo weee if it ain't stinky butt," one of the Specialist Athan didn't recognized yelled out.

Chuckles and laughter followed suit and Athan suddenly didn't feel that hungry, although he was gnawing for something to consume.The last hour in the bathroon had left him dehydrated and starving. He turned around fuming and left amid the jeers of laughter and insults, his heart racing and his mind cursing them all.He made his way to the Nemesis cockpit, where Tabaro sat running through some footage of the bombing run and a several piece of papers he clenched in his right hand reading, like it was the most important thing since slice bread." How long are we going to be here."

Tabaro looked up and glanced at Athan." Chief says two hours.Its only been forty-five minutes since we landed."

Athan nodded, glanced at the communication station where Vicati's room-mate Alena sat flipping through channels and looking at a small booklet.They were still in the process of setting up pre-arrange frequencies between the MSs and the Nemesis." I need to used the communication system."

Alena looked up at him as Tabaro replied." Can't even if you wanted to.We're dispersing minovsky particles around the Nemesis.If you want to contact someone, used one of the Akron portable radio set.Has about ten times the range of a mobile suit and its an encrypted line-of-sight UHF, single-sideband.Thousands of channels if you need to know, you should be safe using one about a mile or two away from the Nemesis. Who exactly are you planning on calling?"

" Fork Point, we haven't reported in over a day, the LFA would want to know what happen to us,"Athan said, Tabaro nodded his head and return to his papers, Athan turned to leave as Alena held her nose high with her left hands' thumb and fore-finger while fanning the air with her booklet.Athan glared his hate and left for the hanger bay.It took five minutes to find the radio.He considered walking the distance on foot for only a minute and decided on using his Grave instead, covering a mile shouldn't take more than a minute in it after-all.

It felt good to be back at the controls of his Grave, with any luck the next time he had to used it in combat would be in Lucan, fighting for what he had been trained for.According to the crew their next stop was in Lucan, Athan of course had already decided that he wouldn't tell them where to take their aircraft, something of this size would be picked up by Guild radar in a heart-beat and tracked in all the way to its landing area.With his Grave at his command, Athan exit the near empty hanger bay, he glanced once at the secondary cameras picture at the three men working on the right wing ruddervator and then at the two on the missile launcher. Then turning west his Grave marched forward for three minutes before dropping on its knee at his command and he exit the cockpit.

Contacting Fork Port was easy, the Akron portable radio was a Guild built radio for use in emergency situation only.Flipping the knob to a preselect channel that he remember out of his head and one that he didn't have written down anywhere.There were always two frequencies given to LFA MS commanders that came with two passwords going out on the field, one normal and the other transmission for the possibility of having been captured.Should he used the latter with its password, the conversation on the other end would be meaningless and his word would be taken with a grain of salt.Quickly he toggled the Transmit switch.

" This is Bravo Lead, transmitting from unknown location, possibly one hundred plus miles southwest of Kazan territory.Please acknowledge." Athan gazed out to the see and waited for a reply.

" Copy that Bravo Lead.Standby.Please verify keyword," the voice asked, female of course.

" Diam."

" Verification confirmed Lieutenant Athan Corhoris, fourth squad, beta company.Began transmitting report and status of fourth squad," the voice replied, five minutes after he had given them his password.

Athan sat back and began speaking slowly at the beginning starting with the invasion of Kalaro Isles and the death of Sergeant Varl.He was interrupted several times and questions where asked and he quickly answered.It wasn't until Athan got to the Miska-class that he was told to hold.He sat down partially confused but not at all concern, of course Fork Point would would want to know every detail of the invasion as he remembered it and Athan of course was hoping that that information was passed on to the highers up in Lucan.

A completely new baritone voice came on the frequency, with a hint of a commanding status." Athan, this is the senior on duty communication officer.Repeat your report and start at the beginning."

Athan swore inwardly and began again, beginning from the top.He got as far as the boarding the Miska-class.

" You said you found it empty and the crew dead."

" Pretty much, one of the soldiers at Kalaro, a Second Lieutenant Kailyn Starken, reportedly but can't be proven, is a surviving member of Ratheon Institute Noire Knights.It was him that captured the assault carrier and killed off the crew," Athan replied.

" Can you repeat the name."

' _Whats what these guys all of a sudden_. Kailyn Starken."

" The aircraft is undamage."

" Not at that time," Athan began in great detail about their flight to Mokis isles, the assault by the Guild ESF special forces that night and was stopped once again.

" Ten ESF members, eight reported dead and one captured, what happen to the tenth."

" Can't say, other than we picked up an explosion not to far offshore some time after his escape.Its possible he's dead, but that can't be proven."

" So you have in your possession a ESF prisoner of war, please continue Lieutenant.

Athan sighed and finish his report; this time without interruption, which he was glad for.Mentally, he decided that writing a report and mailing it would be less stressful and more convenient.It took twenty-minutes to complete his report and he ended it with there arrival on the unknown island.

" You do know we'll have to verify this report in order to substantiate your claims.How do I say this, it seems highly unlikely that a single aircraft could do what you just reported and a living Noire Knight.We'll check on this immediately.How do we contact you." the voice was almost pleading.

" The Nemesis has a state-of-the-art communication system.You can contact me on this frequency at any time of your choosing."

" Where did you say your next destination was.' the voice asked.

" I didn't.Lucan, we're heading directly for Lucan."

" You'll be passing very close to Voska island.Our engineers at Fork Point could learned alot from that Guild aircraft, its weapon systems and those new mobile suits.Not to mention if what you say is tru, then that assault carrier may have the ESF newest encryption system onboard," the voice said." You could very well have the key that helps us defeat the Guild in Lucan."

' _**Defeat the Guild in Lucan using the Nemesis**_.' Athan folded his arms." Yea right, just like the claims that Blacky said about the LFA liberating Unterrem city."

The male voice was silent for only a moment."The LFA does control Unterrem city and still does. We need that aircraft Lieutenant, can you bring it to us."

_'Sonofabitch, so he was right after all,"_ Athan looked at the ocean, not seeing it, thinking only of what was happening in Lucan." Sure, why not.If it helps Lucan."

" I'm glad to hear that. When can we expect your arrival."

" The Graves need supplies mostly ammo.Plus Vicati's Grave needs a new arm, we could be there tomorrow late-morning or early-noon.I'll have to talk to Tabaro, he's second in command.But Kailyn makes all the decisions," Athan said.He was flattered that his agreement seemed to mean so much to this very important man back at Fork Point.

" Yes? That's good.That's what we like to hear.Can you confirm your arrival tomorrow."

Athan shook his head knowing he can't be seen." I'll know something soon as we lift off from this rock.Contact me at twenty-two hundred hours, I should know something by then."

" That is fine with us.I think there could be a promotion in it for you. A captured ESF prisoner, an undamge assault carrier and two of their latest mobile suits.Yes, I think it is a very good idea.We'll learned alot about the Guild mobile suit technology without them knowing it was happening. You'll be doing in just one move, more than our engineers and intelligence stuff have done in years."

Athan felt his sweat trickling down his ribs." I'll have something for you later tonight."

They spent sometime talking over the details, and the longer they talked, the more comfortable it seemed to Athan, therefore the more trouble.This was a trick he would have to play on himself, making it familiar, so that later he can feed the idea of stopping at Fork Point.Athan had no illusions what would happen once they arrive at Fort Point, an aircraft like the Nemesis had to be valuable and the people at Fort Point would take what ever means was necessary to keep it for as long as needed, even if by force.He liked the idea.It would serve Kailyn right.The little shit thought he was everything, he would never see it coming.Athan suppose that would make them even, since the blackfuck had litterly laughed at him after he'd drink that poison.

Athan flipped the radio OFF and lifted the backpack and walked back to his Grave, sweating immensely and feeling his stomach beginning to churn once again.He knew what was coming and he hurried to his mobile, silently praying that he reached the Nemesis in time, even as he contemplated on how he would tell Vicati their new mission.Two of them speaking to Tabaro would yield better result than him alone.The only question that remain, was would she agree to go along with it?.

l

Kailyn stepped down on the missiles loader's platform under the right wing of the Nemesis, his hands greasy and fingernails black and walks beside Master Chief Delewares." Repairs done, as best as we can do it anyway.I didn't know balancing, repairing and reconnecting a couple of ruddervators was this complicated."

Delewares glanced at the repair manual he'd found in the emergency repair panel." We need parts we don't have, for a complete detail repair work.But all in all, I think we did ok.Didn't know you know so much about repairing a assault carrier ruddervator."

_" I don't.' Well I didn't, gotta thank a mentally aware computer chip for that_,' Kailyn muttered, he felt a low charge electrical zap and he cringed._'Krill, Sigma would you stop that already.That shit stings as hell and your likely to fry my brain cells.'_

Impossible, electrical charge does not yield sufficient power to eridicate brain cells.

Delewares nodded." Well you sure fool me, we finish ahead of schedule.It'll fly, but for how long depends on the repair work."

Turning around Kailyn saw and watched a Grave mobile suit thundered towards the Nemesis hangerbay without slowing its stride.' _I'm talking to a computer chip and its telling me it doesn't_ _have enough juice to frag my brain_.' We need a specialist that knows aircraft...military type aircrafts and I haven't seen the weapon expenditure supply report yet.But I'm guessing we need to resupply in that area as well.We'll have to take care of both and anything else before we continue on to Lucan."

" Where are we going to do that.We barely completed the repairs using this manual.Not to mention it'll be expensive to re-arm something of this size," Delewares said waving his hand as if immitating the aircraft size.

" I know just the place to get the repair done," Kailyn replied, his mind already working over-time on how long will it take to get there, surprisingly even to him, he had his answer in milliseconds; the power of a Neural Limiter with a mind of its own, he mused silently. Money of course was no probem for him, Krause or Annista, they all had access to a joint account and could easily wired funds from anywhere in the world; at least they could, he was still underage at the time; which means he would need his password to access his account.The only person with that information was Annista, which means he would have to contact her as soon as possible.Kailyn just hoped she still paid attention to that old UHF emergency frequency. That of course was on the assumption there was any money left, there was no telling just how much both Annista and Krause how burned over the last fifteen years.That would would be one of the first things he asked her, once they were airborne and on there way.

The weapons, now that would be the tricky part, Guild weapons were top of the line and finding replacements of there stature would be near impossible; not unless he wanted to go knocking on a Guild operated and control weapons manufacturer door trying to buy some." I'll deal with the money issues."

Kailyn pointed to the large metallic-like conveyor like belt that brings the empty missile launchers forward to be loaded." What about the damage launcher."

Delewares followed his gaze." Nothing we can do about that."

' Bloody k_rill. One launcher out of action already_.' Make a list of what we need, a detail list.Send it to Tabaro.He can review it and then send me copy once he's done," Kailyn ordered." Time to get off this rock."

" I agree.I'll make that list immediately.There's some stuff we need, but couldn't find on Mokis," Delewares began as they walked off the missile loader's platform." Should I add them to the list as well."

Kailyn nodded, turning left on a narrow corridor.They came to an airtight door." Get me the list.I'll work on the supplies.Best to make one stop and get what we need before we reached our destination."

Delewares open the door." Your pretty thorough, you know that.You never leave much to chance.You want to get any and everything you need as fast or before you need them. Thats a skill of an able commander, they teach you that at Ratheon Institute to."

" I like to be prepared. Is that so wrong."

They seperated, with Delewares heading for the hangerbay and Kailyn continuing to the bridge for a quick stop and then his quarters for a quick shower and hopefully, it'll be lunch time.Even as he walked he was getting hungry.

l

No stats, sorry. ;)


	19. Chapter 18

**Mobile Suit Gundam: Vanguard Blitz**

**Chapter 18**

_**Trifecta Isles**_

Despite having ascended to one of the most powerful positions within the Guild Socialist Ministrys' Navy, Admiral Leone Sceptre was average in height, with a slender build and narrow shoulders. He had a freckled face and thinning black hair. His unimposing physique, however, stood in stark contrast to the almost princely love the man commanded from those who knew him. It was once said that if you ever run into Admiral Leone Sceptre, there was little chance of you not growing to like or admire him.

And today the now fifth most powerful man in the Guild navy, was having a great day. In fact it couldn't have gotten any better. Little humidity, perfect temperature, cool, clean the kind of weather he needed today of all days.

It had started off like any other morning like it had been for the past four months, except this morning it would be the last time he would have to go through any such fitness exams, health and mental check-ups for a very-very long time. It began with a three-mile long morning jog with two hundred senior officers, NCOs and enlisted personnels before the sun had risen. Then it was moved to a briefing-room where they started him off with a fifty-question emergency-procedures written test, including space to write down all eighty-nine lines of " bold print" emergency procedures for the TSAG-001MA _Thundara-class battleship_, steps that were required to be committed to memory word for word. No one would be allowed to command, let alone step inside any of the _Guild Federation Space Forces_ new space-warships, without first demonstrating thorough knowledge of all warship systems; especially those in the command positions. With General Litzan Avator, Defense Minister Vistan Van Pollen and C-inCNF Admiral Cronavo Feltiz and five serious faced high-ranking officials looking on, the forty-nine year old Admiral, along with thirteen Captains and thirteen Executive Officers, that would be under his direct command in a matter of hours, bellied up to the last exam they would ever undertake and got to work; four hours later, Sceptre went through another thorough physical and eye exam.

It was three hours later, before he found out that he had scored a respectable 88 on the EP test and a 93 on the bold print test, then he was asked to be submitted to a complete review of the missed questions by the instructing officer, under-going free-fire questioning until the instructor receive a nodded, that was in the form of a cough from Defense Minister Van Pollen, signifying he was satisfied that Sceptre knew the answers. Another hour pass and Sceptre ran a quick review of the launch procedure, launching orders and the ships formation once they were in high orbit, with the Captains of the other vessels that would be launching along side him, the current weather conditions, Sceptre sign the necessary forms saluted the Defense Minister, C-inCNF and the ESF Supreme Commander and receive a salute in returned, he suited up, and got ready to embark on his journey into space, mentally counting the last few hours on the planet surface.

An hour later, snug in his custom made kevlar/rubber G suit secured around his waist and legs, with his emergency oxygen tank attach to his left thigh, and helmet in hand and canvas bag, packed with last minute personal items, up to date star-charts, and the Thundara-class checklist in the other, he headed out from the base ops for the last time and walked towards the northwestern end of Trifecta isles where the islands' large elevators would take him and his men, over six hundred meters deep underground into one of the most heavily fortified and guarded secrets of the GSM governement. He chatted with Captain Lonavo Qwan, his new battleship's ' The Thundara' current Captain, and other crew members not yet onboard on the metal ramps, they talked about what was happening around the world, the ongoing war and who were the best Captains and the most ambitious, assign to the GFSF 1st Fleet.

They had barely walked the last fifty feet, when he saw her for the third time, the steel grey and blue Thundara-class battleship, first one off the assembly-line. The Thundara-class battleship resembled a 320 meter long;90 meter high; 134 meter wide human tongue. Its primary weapons included 5x 2-barrel Mega-Particle beam on each side of the bridge tower, one in the rear, one on the portside, one on the starboard side and multiple multi-purpose missile launchers and CIWS. How many Sceptre had no idea, he would have to check the exact amount later, but for now, time was of the essence.

Sceptre spent one hour walking around the warship as last minute supplies, weapons and mobile suits were loaded onboard, making a visual external check; he wondered if the other captains were doing the same even as the countdown to launch continued. Several minutes later, he was seated in the main bridge, with Captain Qwan beside him and the ships' XO, one meter below them with the rest of the bridge crew securing themselves in or running through all the pre-launch tests and checks, in strict accordance with the minutely ordered details was skimp. No details was so small it could be the warships' first maiden flight, Sceptre himself operated the well-tried and written book.

At fifteen minutes to launch, the flight engineers handed over the documents to the admiral, who signed the log and Sceptre formally accepted command of the warship. The self-destruct and key-codes for the secret weapons aboard had already been given to him and Captain Qwan in a private commissioning ceremony three hours earlier by General Avator and Van Pollen. Now both officers had their own launched-keys, copy of their orders; not to be open until their arrival at Yulva-3.

Poised at the end of a linear catapult, engines throbbing beneath him, Sceptre felt like a gun waiting for someone to pull the trigger. When the helmsman tilted his head back and confirm all flight preparations was completed, Sceptre could only manage a nodded, even as an uneasy feeling began to gripped him tightly and he wedge his hip into the narrow seat. The helmsman pushed the throttle forward, slowly, the Thundara's engines roared to life, and the entire world shook. The brakes were released, and Sceptre slammed backward in his seat as the battleship tore down the linear catapult and lifted off within a matter of seconds with help from its thermonuclear engines and minovsky craft systems. Outside on the sub-monitors, the planet _Genesis _dropped away at a dizzying rate.

Sceptre gulped in some pure oxygen inside his helmet and closed his eyes as the battleship rocket skyward. He wondered silently if he had forgotten to do something. At that moment it didn't feel that important. Sceptre eyes were still close and his ears ringing with the sound of his name being call over and over again, until he finally open his eyes and saw only sparkling dots and an eternal darkness in front of him.

It was Qwan who was calling out his name and was speaking to him." Admiral Sceptre, where in orbit, sir."

It took a minute for Sceptre to catch himself and feel the weightlessness, he was litterly floating in his seat, held in place by the safety harness. _That was faster than the sim had been_." Began deploying both communication and reconniassance satellites at designated coordinates immediately."Sceptre slumped into his seat. His first mission was to deploy two photo-reconniassance, three electronic surveillance, one navigational and two communication satellites in geostationary orbit around the planet.A simple enough task that could have easily been done with a few rocket launches, but made the more easier, cheaper and far more efficient by having the warships carry and deploy them whilst in orbit.

It also had the benefit of giving the new mobile suit pilots something to do and a feel for their new machines in actual space, rather than a simulation. Sceptre turned to watched, while mentally wondering what would be the first to launched out of one of two catapults built below the twin barrel turrets on each side.A rare officers blue and black striped TMS-19B2 Gizen SV also known as the_ Gizen Space Varient_ was the first to launch. Nearly identical visually to its ground counterpart, but this new TMS-19B2 was lighter due to the removal of parts neccessary for ground combat, faster with the number of vernier thrusters needed in space increased and had a longer flight range with completely new weapons. Notably it carried the new TBR-XR2 beam rifle in its right hand; replacing the MS-TS1S3 tri-barrel 25mm gatling gun as the TMS-19 series primary weapon, spare energy capacitors or e-caps were stored in the oval shaped G-Sh/02A shield that can be mounted either hand used T-S/32 heat sword had also been replaced with two TBR-CR/X00C beam sabers stored on rechargeable racks in the hip armor. Like its predessor it still retained its head mounted vulcan cannon, but the 40mm calibre had been upped to 60mm and the 400 rounds of ammunition had been increased to 500 rounds. Its minovsky ultra-compact fusion reactor had been overhauled and improved to a staggering output of 2285 kW, its new fuel efficient engines had been finely tuned to provide maximum thrust acceleration of 2.15Gs, with a 180-degree turn speed of 1.3 seconds. State-of-the-art avionics, targeting sensors capable of tracking multiple targets in 320 degrees of view, all wrapped within a mobile suit that stood 13.8 meters tall and weigh 32 metric tons when fully loaded.

Sceptre watched the Gizen SV flared ahead, until only the flare of its thrusters could be seen in the dark of space, as it veered around to began circling the battleship from a distance of 400 hundred meters as was recommended and so written. moments later on the second catapult, he turned to watched the red and blue TMS-17K1 Lupus Space Type launched forward and quickly joined the Gizen SV in formation in circling the warship slowly in their aerial patrol screen. Like the Gizen SV, the only thing seperating the Lupus SV from its ground counter-part was the lighter armor, increased vernier thrusters, improved reactor rated at 2010 kW and its new weapons; which included a TBR-XR1 beam rifle, a T-Sh/01B2 shield, that can be mounted on either forearm and one TBR-CR/X00A beam saber mounted rechargeable rack in the left hip armor. As the new front-line mobile suit for the Guild Federation Space Forces, the Lupus ST also carried an upgraded and improve version of the Gizens secondary weapon, a TMG-23/R3 90mm heavy assault machinegun, with spare clips on left hip slots.

Sceptre turned to Qwan." Beautiful new machines, prefect for our new space force."

Qwan nodded." Yes, sir. They are our most promising models, state-of-the-art weapons systems. Not an armor in existence could block a mega particle beam blast."

Sceptre nodded his agreement, these new beam weapons would make those shell-base weapons obsolete in a matter of days, it was a shame they were not allow to deploy particle-base weapons on the planet ." ETA on those satellite deployment, I want to be on our way to Yulva-3 within the hour."

" Thirty-minutes, we'll be on our way in no time at all!"

" Good, good. In the main time, lets just enjoy this view, it'll be a long time before we see it again," Sceptre removed his helmet and stared out into the dark abyss at the blue marble that was Genesis, it was truly a thing of unspoken beauty. Space was the final frontier left to conquer and he was the chosen commander that would spear-head that single most important assignment.

**Aboard the Vegnet**

" Never thought I'd live to see the day when the Guild of all nations launched a fleet into orbit," Krause said slowly as he turned to face Aragon, his eyes suddenly narrowed. There was a look of pleasure on Aragon's face, he was truly enjoying this rare began to wonder why."What the fuck are you smiling about all of a sudden."

Aragon turned his auburn haired head to face Krause grinning from ear to ear." They've launch their new fleet sooner than we expected, atleast two weeks in advance. You know what this means."

Krause hadn't a clue what it all meant, or what kind of connection it had to do with them in the first place and the blank stare he gived Aragon was all the answer the little fuck needed to began sqawking away like an over-fed parrot.

" If they've launched their fleet, that means its just a matter of time. Maybe even days before they transport their cargo to an as yet to be confirmed rendezvous point in deep space. If our information is correct and it is without a doubt, within the next few days those warships will be escortng a small fleet of transports packed fulled of two billion tons of refine tetra metal bars and seven-hundred-million tons of helium -3 gas," Aragon said with a smirk on his face.

Krause hands that had been folded over his chest, dropped to his side and his sneer vanish into frown, while his eyes open wider in shocked at Aragon information.'_ Two Billion tons of refine tetra metal bars. You could build ten Tsar-class Drednoughts and still have enough left-over to build a couple of cruisers, destroyers, frigates and mobile suits_." How the hell the Guild got there hands on two billion tons of tetra metal?"

" They've got three mining and processing facilities in Lucan, another two in their own country working twenty-four hours a day, three shifts per day, mining tetra ore and processing tetra metal bars. After ten years they should have nearly four billion in reserves, minus what they've used to build that fleet, current war-stocks and war machines developments." Aragon turned back to face the monitor, watching silently as several mobile suits carried a satellite into position." How long before your mobile suit's fully operational."

Krause head snapped into focus, the three billion tetra metal bar vanishing out of his thoughts." Forty hours, give or take a few minutes. What gives."

" I'll be contacting the commander shortly, there's a high chance she'll be returning to space almost immediately afterwards. My guess, she'll want those tetra metal bars, so having your mobile suit combat ready as soon as possible isn't such a bad idea now is it."

Krause threw back his head and chuckle loudly." She's going to rush in space just to hijack a few billion tetra metal bars from the Guild. Half a dozen mobile suits could do that without breaking a sweat. Those Guild refurbish mobile suits will be over-powered and out-class by a couple hundred years worth of technology."Aragon turn to glare at him and he stopped chuckling and his face twisted into disgust." What!"

" Your arrogance will become the death of you yet. Who do you think is coming to pick up those tetra metal bars and helium -3 gas that will soon be departing Yulva-3."

Krause eyes narrowed slightly and his eyes flew open as his mind wrapped itself around a single answer." No fucking way, your kidding me right. Way out here in this backwater star-system."

Aragon nodded." Why do you think we choose this exact planet to test Limiter G3X2300 and why Admiral Kessaro had his own son place here where he can be properly observe, while we we can gather relevant data on his Limiter. Its simple really, he wanted to know what interested a Praetorian convoy to this world twenty-one years ago."

Krause puffed air out his lungs and his face degenerated into curiosity." The Praetorian Empire was here, twenty-one years ago. wait, thats before the battle in the Andar system. Why I'm I only just now hearing something like this."

Aragon shrugged." normally you would have been, but things change quickly. Instead of you becoming Kailyno's guardian, the commander took that job as a prelude to her own plans. But then again, after what you did in the Andar system, the Admiral and Deluez decided you were better off down on the planet, and as far away as possible from being able to screw things up again."

" It was a tactical mistake, they were aware on us."

Aragon roared." **You broke radio silence and move from your assigned position with the rest of your squadron, before you were ordered too. You turned a near perfect ambush into a drawn-out conflict that eventually cost us the Andar system. Five fucking more minutes Krause, thats all the time we needed and we would have had a Praetorian fleet dead-to-rights in the firing arc of five hidden Tsar-class drednoughts main-guns. You fucked up and we lost three Tsar-class drednought, over three hundred warships and over two hundred thousand soldiers, nothing you say is going to change that. Nothing ."**

Krause held his head low, he knew better than anyone else how it felt to screw up a major-operation. But he would have sworn at the final moments just before the mega particle and plasma beam barrage could commence, that a single Carcharadon C had spotted their position and had alter its heading to investigate. Unfortunately, there was little to no proof to his claims; his mobile suit and its gun camera footage had been beyond recovery and anyone who could have substantiate his claims had died that day. The only thing any of the survivors really saw, was the single fact, that Krause had reveal their hidden position to early for the ambush to be of any use and in the end, the numerically superior Praetorian forces had overwhelm them in a matter of days.

Krause swored inwardly and repeated." It was a tactical mistake. But thats in the past now, the question is how long have we known the Guild and Praetorian have an arrangement that seems to benefit them both."

Aragon closed his eyes thinking out loudly." About twenty-one years ago a HSDTAS outpost tracked a single Praetorian ship leaving this star-system. At the time we never give it much thought, this was a backwater system, with little to no chance of having a habitable planet; let alone a human colony. But High Command decided to send a long-range scout ship to investigate the area. Then the Andar system battle began soon after and it was pretty much forgotten up until sixteen years ago. What little we do know is in the six years prior to our arrival, is that somehow the Guild military technology, mostly in the mobile suit development, metal refinement and the ability to mass-produce mobile weapons had jumped fifteen years ahead."

Krause stared at the metallic ceiling." So the Praetorians handed them advance mobile suit technology. For what, a couple of billion tons of tetra metal bars and helium -3 gas.I don't buy that, they could have easily taken this planet and gotten the same results, abit faster. And why us, we're wasted here, when we could easily be more valuable elsewhere."

Aragon hesitated and then place a hand on Krause's shoulder." Come with me, I want to show you something that might peak your then you'll understand why we've been here for the last fifteen years."

Krause nearly quiver at the contact, but said nothing and follows Aragon out of the bridge, then down a steel ladder to the middle deck stopped at the end of a sealed off maintenance hanger with an impassible vault door.

" Prepare yourself. Computer, open the research and development chamber."

**IDENTIFICATION CODE REQUIRED.**

" Aragon, Charlie-Alpha Six-Nine-Nine-Tango-Four-Six-Six-Sierra-Zero."

**IDENTIFICATION CODE IDENTIFICATION MAY ENTER RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CHAMBER.**

The vault door swings open majestically, revealing a dark, low temperature hanger bay with a dozen technicians and engineers in grey over-alls running to and fro, shouting right and left across the room. Not one of them stopped long enough to stare at the new arrivals; it was clear these people had better things on their minds at the moment, than a couple o senior officers.

Krause followed Aragon inside, the door sealing shut behind them.

" Less than two dozen people have total access to this area. All of them, are our top engineers, mechanics and technicians that have been working nearly none-stop for the last fifteen years," Aragon said, slowing down as he tilted his head back to stare at Krause with a look of pure satisfaction.

Ten paces forward and the deck becomes a steel catwalk. They stopped in the middle of the catwalk and over-looked a double-hulled, self contained box-like compartment fifty meters long, thirty meters wide and fifteen meters high and heavily air-conditioned, the maintenance hanger far walls are lined with computer monitors, electronics and equiped with its own primary and secondary power source. Illuminating the chamber running across the ceiling were dozens of light-bulbs in rows of twos and across the ground cables of various thickness snaked across the deck heading to three seperate partition boxes in the middle of the room. Inside these man-made box-like partitions, a dozen technicians swarmed over a metallic grey and white mobile suit, with a familiar gold coloured double twin V-shape antennas on its head and two dark inactive lime-green optical and digital sensor eyes.

Continuing forward a few extra paces, Aragon and Krause stopped and looked directy within the first partition; giving Krause a better look at what he had already deduce he was looking at. Only now he was staring at it directly.

" Say hello to our newest Gundam models." Aragon purred." These units as you can see are nearly completed, but still combat 've been tweaked tighter than any other gundam models before them by using a reinforce/tensil Tetra alloy armor! They have the best beam weaponary, the best engines, the best hydraulics, the best of everything we could possible fitted inside there frames."

" Then again, they should have the best of everything. Its been almost seventeen years since the last Gundam-type mobile suits were develope and put into circulation. The boys have spent the last few years redesigning and improving almost every aspect of these Gundam performances.I've personally spent plenty of long hours with the engineers to squeeze every knot of performance out of these new models."

Krause was already intrigue at the ten-meter tall mobile suit before him; judging from its bulky design, he assume it was a long-range artillery-type unit. The small disk it had attach to its left shoulder armor could only be a particle accelerator of some sorts; but then again it could be some sort of a coolant unit. Mentally he began to feel a bit jealous, even with the new upgrades, this baby could surely out-class Raptor Gundam." About time we get some new fire-power on our side."

Aragon nodded slowly." As I'm sure you've notice. Test Unit 002 wasn't design with speed in mind, but she's faster than most of the mass-produce mobile suits currently in the empire's she can't catch up with, she can easily destroy with her new shoulder-mounted, hand used, state-of-the-art Variable Speed Multiple-Particle Beam Cannon or essentially an upgraded and down-sized VSMPPBC, in which we've successfully added another mode in which minovsky particles are combine with plasma particles via the plasma particle collector on its left shoulder, which is then accelerated and compressed using injectors on the barrels ten meter long body and fired as a concentrated ball of compress particles that can cover over four hundred kilometers even under the effect of minovsky impulse wave. We 're talking a new-age mega-particle beam cannon with five times the destructive power of a normal , the power-output was measured at 300,000 kilowatts. We call the third mode, Bazooka-mode."

Krause listen and nearly buckled under his knees, his forehead wringing with tid-bits of cold-sweat, even under the cool interior of the maintence hanger._'Three hundred thousand kilowatts, that's almost double the power of a mega bazooka launcher, and those could easily crack a Rehen-class destroyer open with one shot_."Krause moved across the catwalk and turn to face the second Gundam, it was a regular streamline model no taller than 9.9 meters, with multiple hardpoints, for optional weapons and verniers thrusters on its hands, legs joints and backpack, twin wing binders on both side of its backpack were folded neatly in place, head-mounted 60mm vulcan cannons and a noticeable 200mm cannon, mounted over the backpack on the left shoulder."

Aragon followed Kraused gazed and huffed." Thats Test Unit 001. Its virtually completed, except for one minor glitch with its OS system we can't same to solve at the moment. We've left it as it is to concentrate on Test Unit 002 and the new unit slated for mass-production."

Krause turned to face Aragon and said with a hint of malice."Just an OS glitch. All this technology and manpower at your disposal and you guys can't solve an operating system problem."

Aragon sighed as he moved beside Krause with less than two steps." Rather than a bio-computer system similiar to what Raptor Gundam has We opted for an expiremental biochemical nanocomputer that operated on the same principles as a G3X2300 Limiter, which guarantees a tremendous increase in memory capacity and computing speed."

Krause eyebrows quirked." How fast compare to Raptor Gundam?"

" Potentially hundreds of times faster. The techology itself is house inside Test Unit 001 , we're talking about an artificial computerized brain constructed from organic and carbon-based molecular components, which is placed through-out the frame." Aragon paused, wondering if he was saying more than he should.

" Go on," Krause urges, suddenly very interested." You say its frame is coated with organic and carbon components."

" Yes. These components are a genetically duplicated unaltered clone of an original G3X2300 Limiter, each organic component is capable of performing distinct computational tasks. These components evolved independently, allowing them to search a solution space for answers, performing evolutionary algorithms at unprecedented speeds. What's more, they interface perfectly with carbon components."

_'Sonofabitch, the perfect man and machine combination_. Isn't that thing sort of a machine such freedom."

" Test Unit 001 is a prototype Krause. Its computer-system was to represent the birth of a new generation of combat computers, designed, learned, adjusted to the ever changing battlefield, evolve, and improve itself the longer it was in an actual battle. It can operated the mobile suit on its own, without the need of a pilot. But as a safe-guard we made sure it needs a pilot to operated its weapons systems. finding a pilot that can operate her at her highest levels in the other hand is of course another problem."

" In which way."

" The amount of information and the speed at which it relays this information directly into a pilots' Limiter is just staggering to say the least. Its just to much information for a regular Limiter to handle. A G3M2000 such as yours, may handle that much data, but they're not compatible."

" So you need someone with a G3X2300 Limiter. Like the commanders son to operate this Gundam. Shouldn't be that hard, just download the neccessary combat training programmes and actual combat data into that Limiter he has in his head and in a few hours, he'll have all the combat experienced and skills of a veteran." Krause said with satisfaction." All this combat training is second rate stuff after-all."

He knew first hand how long it took to trained a pilot inside a combat mobile suit. It took months and hundreds of simulated hours before a pilot was ready. Time and effort they didn't have due to the war, pilots were needed on the battlefield and they were needed quickly. By simply transferring all the combat experience of several individuals directly into a new recruits' Limiter, the recruit, could in a matter of hours accumulate years of combat experience and reduce the risk of freezing in the middle of a firefight out of fear. While the system was valuable, there was a downsized to such a system.

" That data was downloaded years ago. Various selected combat information was implanted subliminally when Kessaro's was very young. Its under layers upon layers of protection, that automatically activate as he reaches a specific skill level, the more he improves in actual combat conditions, the more those skills become active , you know as well as I do, that the mind and body must work in cohesion. Even if the mind holds the combat experienced of a hundred of our best pilots, but the body lacks the physical attributes to bring those skills and knowledge to their maximum potential, then those skills and knowledge have little to no actual used."

Aragon turned to leave." Besides, we don't know if the system will tolerate an actual G3X2300 Limiter carrier. He might just go insane like all the others that have tried to operate the system. Lets go Commander, you have your Raptor to check-up on and while your at it, see to it those technicians bring the SGX-XA1010 to full operating status. The Commander should be here in a few hours, this is one mission she won't want to miss out on no matter what."

Krause gritted his teeth, took one last look at Gundam Test Unit 001, then at the third model that didn't look anything like a Gundam, but more like a Vegiz II with more verniers thrusters; this model was definitely designed for mass-production, before turning to followed in steps behind Aragon, muttering to himself the entire way; even as Aragon signal to the others who took the time to look up, to resume their work.

In the center of the partition, the amber eyes' of Test Unit 001 glowed brightly and observed the two men leaving the chamber, its biochemical computer system recording everything it had heard, its curious consciousness scanning its circuitry and vast network of information, dissecting each word as it searches for meaning and its reason for existing.

**Vehal, Central Guild**

Colonel Getave Vellano eyed the satellite photographs with little to no apparent interest. One of the first things the newly deployed satellites had done, was passed over Fort Nirka within an hour after they had been placed in orbit by the new GFSF 1st Fleet and the signals sent by real-time linked to the ESF command center on Trifecta was confirming visually on the report he had read about less than six hours ago. The pictures not only answered any questions he would have had, but gived an accurate assement of the damage dealt to the airstripes."

For all intent and purposes, Fort Nirka was off the air and would be for another three to four days. grinding his teeth in hate, Vellano wondered how was it that a single atmospheric attack carrier, was able to bring an entire, fully functional air-base to its knees in a single night, better yet how could they have allowed such a ship to be captured, intact. The occupants single act of suicidal bravado had left a falling domino effect. Just minutes after the attack, the formly lost 1st Infantry Division run right smack into a retreating Deikumian Brigade, that has now been confirmed as the 7th Mobile Infantry Brigade, fifteen kilometers near the coast and thirty kilometers from where they should have been. they had the advantage in numbers and mobile suits, but the lack of supplies and air-support, and the over-active Deikumian Air Force and artillery batteries had deny them the ability to bring that advantage into play. In the end the 1st Infantry Divison had been force to retreat from a single Deikumian Brigade in order to rebuild their lines, set-up communications and reorganise their command structure, rather than pushed the attack, that same Deikumian Brigade had simply vanish, and no one knew where they were now.

Vellano slumped back into his chair, his eyes falling onto the report on Fort Nirkas current condition, fifteen pages thick that rested on his desk. Atleast the whereabouts of the 1st Infantry Division was now known.

The Communication monitor to his front left beep once and without hesitation Vellano leaned forward and flipped the switched and stared directly into the unblinking eyes of General Avator." Sir."

" The regular forces are becoming a disappointment Vellano. How is the final preparation for Operation Impetus, coming along."

" I just receive an update from Colonel Tional less than an hour ago. The two Stryker Teams that were sent in were delayed by the fleet launching into space earlier, but they've arrived and they're on their way as we speak," Vellano said, tapping a few keys on the keyboard bringing up a map of the Eastern Nirvano Continent on the screen." If everything goes as plan, they should be arriving within range of their target in less than seventy hours. With Fort Nirka off the air until further notice, I've decided to erased their part of the operation and ordered the 154th Mechanized-rifle battalion to be sent to Opan Air-Force base instead. Its a risky option with the LFA making headways over there, but it can't be help. Not if this operation has any hopes continuing"

Avator nodded his head on the screen." I'm told Colonel Orsini is in pursuit of Fort Nirka's attackers aboard an HAT transport. He can be useful as a diversion if nothing else, and his last position report, puts him in the best position to launch his attack from the east. What ever you do, get Fort Nirka to launch an aerial diversion from the south at the same time.I believe Colonel Tional well be launching his assault from the west, while the 154th MRB comes in from the southwest. The timing has to be near perfect, but you have two days to make it work."

Vellano nodded." Yes, sir. The new models the Stryker teams are packing is our main attack force, the 154th MRB is merely distraction and securing force. Colonel Orsini, what's he doing on the other side of Kazan. No matter, a two point diversion would increase our chance of success. I'll need to know whats his mobile suit compliment and his battle capabilities are, if I'm to work out a plan of action immediately."

Avator immediately downloaded a file into his PC." Take a look for yourself." Vellano open the filed immediately after the download had completed, even as Avator spoke." At the moment he's packing eight Lupos Stratus, a single Lupos Commander-type, a single Marauder-type, one Gizen-type, three Lupus X-type and two expiremental types. That makes sixteen suits at his disposal. More than enough for a simple air and ground diversion."

Vellano agreed, although he was mentally wondering where Orsini had gotten ahold of an HAT in the first place. Most if not all of them were at Trifecta isles, and you couldn't get those without some serious string pulling, even someone with the ranks of a Colonel in the ESF." I'll contact him as soon as possible, the operation doesn't began for three days, plenty of time to get in contact and work-out a time of action."

" Maybe," Avator said with a hint of skepticism and anger in his voice." I've also found out he's chasing that Black Knight with the Gizen (r), there's no doubt about it. After losing contact with team Dark Raider and hearing those Kalaroian prisoners cry about a Black Knight having been among them.I sent those photos of that Gizen (r) pilot and the photographs of this Kailyn Starken, the ones we received from Colonel Orsini while he was at at Fort Nirka to First Lieutenant Serena Vel Conirs to positively identify this pilot. If that guy was a Noire Knight, she would know about know about it. You want to know what she reported."

Vellano shook his head, but the name Serena Vel Conirs hit a memory cord. She had been the young recruit responsible for infiltrating Ratheon Institute under the guise of a Lucanite refugee seeking asylum and thus providing the ESF with invaluable information on their training regiments, mobile suit development programmes and without her invaluable assistance, it would have been near impossible to have approached and destroy Ratheon Institute in a single night, without living a shredd of evidence of the Guild involvement. She was now a full member of the secretive ESF Stryker team codenamed Team ColdHearts, a well organised, well trained and well funded black ops unit.

" She confirms our worst fears. Not only is that pilot a living, breathing Black Knight. But Lieutenant Vel Conirs also stated, that in mobile suit combat and tactics, that pilot was second to no one within the Noire Knight, he was the best of the best that Ratheon Institute was close to producing, before we shut them down. Orsini has no idea who he's dealing with, if he doesn't watch himself, things could go ugly for him very fast."

Vellano exhaled a breathe he had been holding with a sigh." It also means Orsini will have more of a fight on his hands than he ever possibly thought. But he also has the advantage in mobile suits and this guy's only one Noire Knight.I'm sure he can deal with a single Black Knight."

Avator waved a hand in the air, twisting his index finger in small circles like a kid." Just remember this single Noire Knight has a Gizen (r), the most advance mass-produce mobile suit currently in use, and is single handely responsible for not only sinking a Gritz-class battleship, but also in destroying the 7th Light Recon Squadron, with only one survivor. An possibly an entire Stryker team, with no survivors. To many unexpendable Elites have died already, this Black Knight has to die and very soon."

Avator closed the communication link with a flick of a wrist.

" Advance or not, without the right spare parts," Vellano said to the black monitor." Its just another wear out mobile suit begging to get right-off. That so call Black Knight days are already numbered, its only question of who will be the lucky person to knock his lights out, permanently"

**Aboard the HAT, Biafritz**

Colonel Orsini stares at his charts, checking and rechecking the Biafritz course. He knows the El Nino is somewhere ahead, how far exactly he hadn't a clue, but he figured in fifty-two hours or so, he would either have them on his radar or not. Either way, he was going all the way with his plan of destroying the El Nino and the Gizen (r). Even if it meant following them all the way to Lucan; if they were heading to Lucan in the first place.

Muttering under his breathe, he slumped in his chair with a copy of Kazan eastern island territories in his right hand and stared up at the cockpit crew.A pilot, a co-pilot, a combat operator/communication technician and a radar operator; of which he had two of both alternating between work and rest; until a proper schedule could be set-up, it would stay like this for a day or so, hopefully it would not over-work the regular forces crew.

Somewhere below in the massive mobile suit hangerbay, Captain Raden, his newly appointed mobile suit squadron commander was briefing his new team and conducting aerial combat drills and formation. Orsini knows the man has a long standing navy career and one of the few aboard with actual combat experienced, the young mobile suit pilots could learned alot from him. But what they learned under a control environment and how they perform under actual battle condition could be two seperate performances. If only he'd been allowed to have a team of Elites, he would be far more incline to increase their chance of success. As it was Lieutenant Dale was only a ground combat specialist and useless in aerial combat.

Turning to the bridge crew that were whispering amongst themselves, Orsini thought of ending such distraction quickly with a coarse command, but considering it would be two days before they should receive any radar signal from the El Nino, he decide against it. Let them talk, as long as they did the task set before them and reported any changes that were detected immediately.

Colonel Orsini's hastily assemble teamed were highly-trained. When ever he gaved the word to the young male radar operator to began tracking any aerial targets within radar range, his men would slip into a well-rehearsed routines, which they had practice a hundred times. He felt relaxed and unemotional, as he always did when the pressure was on. And right now the CO was completely outside his element, commanding a top-class transport, with visibility less than two miles in a not so clear day; but radar of course would take care of that, just thirty miles south-east of them was the Kazan controlled island of Rednia with a very active radar installation, Orsini sat watching and waiting, hoping as usual to intercept and this time outwit his enemy.

Colonel Orsini repeatedly asked the radar operator if anything was on the screen, at least once every ten to fifteen minutes minutes and as always he got a ' negative, sir. Nothing for two hundred miles'.But he asked nontheless, if only to keep the young man on his toes. The radar was watching the skies to the northwest non-stop, the operator paying particular attention for long-range detections." Just keep an eye out," said Orsini." Anything at five to six hundred mph and over twenty-five thousand feet is potentially our target. Keep a watchful eye on Kazan also, they might just have a few fighters airborne trailing us by now."The last thing he needed was to get jump by a couple of Kazan fighters, with no weapons of its own, the HAT was for all intent and purpose a flying coffins with a couple Lupos Stratus pill bearers, they were close-range weapons after-all, and without minovsky particles for cover, they would fair poorly against a massive fighter attack. Especially from long-range attacks.

Surprisingly the first detection came fifteen minutes later, while Colonel Orsini had his eyes closed and was slowly drifting off to sleep. At two-hundred and eight miles out, the radar operator wasn't sure at first if the blip was an actually aircraft itself. Especially not the one they were chasing, this aircraft profile was large noneetheless, but it was traveling at a top-speed of 400 mph and at an altitude of roughly thirty-thousand feet. It took him sixteen seconds after detecting the blip, before deciding to report it as a possible contact.

" New contact, sir. Moving at a heading of a three-zero-eight, speed four-hundred mph, altitude thirty-thousand feet. Range, two hundred and seven miles out."

Orsini snapped wide awake, his eyes searching out the radar operator." Thats faster than we calculated. Confirmed its an aircraft and identify immediately."

" Yes,sir. Its confirmed. It also fits one of the El Ninos probable flight paths. Judging from its size, it could be the El Nino."

" Ok, people," said Orsini calmly." Confirm its the El Nino. Check for any other contact within radar range. Lets just relax and do this right, its to soon to have the El Nino on our radar-scope. Unless it was heavily damage and was force to land somewhere for quick repairs.'

Within thirty minutes, all the data, the radarrange and bearing had been confirmed. Orsini now had confirmation that without a doubt that it was the El Nino lumbering just out of his reach. With course command to the pilot, he ordered for an immediate intercept range was now 184 miles. Every 4.4 seconds Biafritz's radar completed a sweep, and every sweep provided more useful information on course and speed.

Colonel Orsini betrayed nothing as he nodded to the Biafritz pilots and turned around just as the cabin door slide open and in stepped Captain Raden, with Lieutenant Dale, Lieutenant Lieutenant Gily, and Lieutenant Lovichen hot on his the news of the El Ninos' detection had travel into the hanger-bay and pilot locker-rooms" Is it them."

Orsini took his seat and ignored the Captain promptness." Sensors confirms its the El Nino, but we won't have a visual I.D for another two hours at our current rate of speed. Have you come up with a combat strategy if it turns out it is them."

Raden smiled before placing his right palm on the ceramic table bolted to the deck, and pointing an index finger first at Lieutenant Dale and then swinging it to Lieutenant Lovichen." With some major help from the LTs here, we've come up with suitable plan that should destroy the Gizen (r) and bagged us the El Nino in one fell swoop."

Orsini closed his eyes. How many times had he had those exact thoughts, only to watch his prey escape and his kill count increased." I'm listening Captain."

Raden nodded." Its a three phase operation that involves six mobile suits in atmosphere combat. Phase One involve launching two Lupos Stratus as a lure to bring out and engage the Gizen (r). Phase Two is the launching of two more Lupos Stratus with the express mission of destroying the Gizen (r), if its not already destroyed by then. Phase Three invloves launching the Lupos Commander type and Lieutenant Lovichen's Gizen to intercept and if necessary destroy the El Nino. With our superior speed, thrust and climbing range, we should be able to catch up to it quite easily if it decided to make a run for it."

It sounded like a good plan, but Orsini had a few question, but Dale spoke up first, even as the door hiss open and slow moving footsteps with a noticeable limp in the steps join them." It takes three minutes to reset the settings of the linear catapult from a Lupos Stratus to a Lupos CT or even the Gizen. We decided on sending four Lupos Stratus out first. While Captain Raden will used the catapult, Lieutenant Lovichen will launch using the Gizen's own thrusters right behind him. Unfortunately the plan call for us to get within fifty miles of the El Nino, sixty at the most. Anything under sixty miles and she can run faster and further than the Gizen or Lupos CT propellant will last and we don't have any external propellant tanks aboard to increase their over-all range."

Orsini nodded his understanding, while mentally cursing the lack of time needed to be properly supplied." Where moving on an intercept course, using minovsky particles to cover us from long-range dections now. We should be in range within an hour, how long will it take your team...

" Less than half an hour and we can be fully prepared. Take us around ten thousand feet above their current altitude at the last moments of our launching and it should increase our we have to chase after the El Nino," Raden said turning to stare at the new arrival with a hint of surprise." Four Lupos Stratus is more than enough to deal with the Gizen (r)."

First Sergeant Avena Carlita stared back at Captain Raden and then slowly turned to face Colonel Orsini, beside the scar that went from her chin to her left ear, there was little physical injury from her battle with the Gizen (r).But she was still a few days from being able to pilot a mobile suit." I still say send everything out after the Gizen (r) first, deal with it first-hand and then move on the El Nino, that pilot adapts quickly, I've witness it first hand. You take him lightly and you won't live to regret it."

She turned to Raden again, before turning to leave. Orsini tapped the table, focusing the attention back on him." Sergeant Avena was the first to engage the Gizen (r), less than five minutes after the pilot commandeer the mobile suit with no prior knowledge of its control systems. She's lucky to be alive, many others were not so fortunate.I have her here as a potential psychological effect against the Gizen (r) pilot, as well as the only one here that can positively identify him. To be honest, I agree with her assessments, the Gizen (r) should be your primary target. We can deal with the atmospheric carrier at our pace after-wards"

" Doesn't matter how good he is, four against one's still in our favor, plus we only have three hours of daylight. Way to dangerous to try night landing operations in the air. But we'll do it your way nonetheless and take him out first. Six-against-one, hmph. This'll be over in time for dinner," Raden was saying out loud.

" I pray your right captain. I pray your right," Orsini replied, but he didn't sound that confident.

**Northwestern Lucan**

The sounds of multiple explosions suddenly began rippling behind and on both sides of the Guild battery commander's twin 180mm cannons, creating a cloud of dust and debris, obsecuring his frontal vision. For a split second he turned his head right and left, witnessing through his own eyes, the same type of dust storm happening from three seperate positions in the distance, the other Outposts battery commanders were in the same boat he was in and for a brief moment he was glad he was not enemy that had suddenly began attacking their observation outpost, was as yet unknown; he quickly surmise it had to be those rebels that he had been hearing about or not, he had a job to do and that was to defend the primary observational outpost, of the first defense line of Sector Red 3 against any and all types of incursions, until reinforcements can arrived, the others could handle their own outpost.

Taking a deep breath, the commander barked orders to his two-man team to began preparing the cannons, even as two Thrankas suddenly appeared at his back left and began taking positions not to far away, while two Lupus Ds that had arrived earlier that morning, began kneeling to their front right. The gun crews began aiming their barrels directly in front of them, as the dust cloud subsided just enough to see shapes moving in the distance. The two Lupus Ds were the first to fire with a full burst of their 76mm heavy machineguns blazing ahead, followed in with the booming of the twin 180mm cannons in rapid succession.

The falling rounds landed two kilometers short of the massive humaniod shapes and kicking up a cloud of dust, but one large humaniod shape suddenly leapt out of the duststorm, unscathed and undamaged and began racing towards their positions. The two Lupus Ds quickly rosed to their feet and took aim ahead and fired a quick burst of 76mm rounds, when suddenly the unknown type of mobile suit used its backpack mounted thrusters and leapt right into the air above the twin lines of tracers that impacted in the distance, to high for the twin 180mm cannons to track, but well in range of the two Lupus Ds. But before either could adjust their fire, it returned fire first and the high-velocity tracers had a telling effect.

Captain Phollia paid little attention to the exploding right hand and head of the frontal right Lupus D in the distance and instead, concentrated on the twin 180mm cannons that were more of a threat. Several Thrankas was beside them and four Series 61 main battle tanks was kicking up a dust storm with their threads as they move in from behind, but they were still far away and were not an immediate threat. Phollia level her barrel downwards and cut loose at full burn with the 100mm machinegun, even as the second Lupus D staggered backwards and return fire with its own 76mm heavy machinegun, while its wingman continued falling backwards beside it.

Phollia cut the Graves' thrusters off completely and felt the mobile suit dropped out of the sky at a high rate of speed and watched at the corner of her eyes as the 76mm tracers flew past, but her attention was locked on the impacting rounds of her 100mm machinegun on the twin 180mm cannons, turning the turrets into a fireball and a rain of flying shrapnels, followed immediately by secondary explosions as its ammo crate cooked off.

Phollia dropped the empty 100mm machinegun as the Grave landed with a cramp sound and bolted forward towards the staggering Lupus D with a quick short burst of the backpack thrusters, while unlatching the heat rapier with the empty left hand. The Lupus D squeeze off another burst, but missed high. The Grave never slowed down, but simply pointed the glowing tip of the heat rapier ahead as the Lupus D tripped and began falling backwards even as the superheated weapon effortlessly sink into the upper torso, missing the intended cockpit hatch by half a meter, but still close enough to roast the pilot alive. The Grave continued pass, using its right hand to withdraw the second 100mm machinegun, while the left pull out the heat rapier out of the Lupus D torso and she pointed her new 100mm machinegun at the two Thrankas and fired two seperate single round burst at each APC, blowing them apart as they skidded backwards in a futile attempt to escape, even as her communication beeped for her attention.

She ignored the radio for now and concentrated on the four approaching MBTs as she broke her Grave into a slow run, she fired a burst of her 100mm machinegun, forcing them to scatter and pumping out clouds of smoke from their smoke generators and vanishing out of her main gun camera picture, but not completely out of her mental sight.

One of them popped out and took a shot at her Grave with its 120mm cannon, but hit nothing but air as the more agile mobile weapon veered right and powered jump above its prey, out of reach of the tanks main gun, but still in hers. With two-three round burst from above into the tanks' thin armored top, Phollia reduce the Guild MBT into scrap metal and charrred human remains as secondary explosions racketed from with as its ammo cooked off.

_This is becoming redundant and to easy, even in this low-tech mobile suit. There's no fun in this anymore. How long can I keep this charade up._

Another tank popped below her, its .60 calibre anti-aircraft machinegun spitting tracers skyward in disperation. She landed on its right flank and fired a burst of her 100mm watch with boredom as it crumble under the hail of AP rounds and exploded from the inside out .The radio beep again as she turn to search out the other two tanks.

Both were already retreating in the distance, but neither made it more than two kilometers as Misha popped two rounds out of his 310mm bazooka four seconds apart; striking both Series 61 in there engine casings, blowing them apart in a fiery blaze of glory. Skidding over to the Lupus D Phollia had taken down first, its cockpit was wide open. Sergeant Misha brought his Grave to a stop over it and poked it once with the massive barrel of his 310mm bazooka." Its empty, the pilot must have bail out in a hurry. It might be of use to us, but no main camera and only one operating arm, ma'am."

Phollia shrugged inside her seat as the Grave landed for the last time, while depressing the communication button." This is Captain Phollia, what is it now?" she asked removing her helmet.

" Commander Kessaro, this is Aragon aboard the Vegnet. The birds have flown the coop!" Aragon's voice was soft with a hint of excitement, to soft.

Phollia blinked in surprise having expected the voice of Lieutenant Mitsuba or even Ahern, but surely not Aragon." When. _So things are finally beginning to move forward. We've waited long enough for this to began."_

" Less than two hours ago, we had to wait until their new fleet left orbit for Yulva -3 before moving into communication range. Initial scanns confirms their carrying new types of mobile suits, and get this they're equiped with beam weaponary. How do you want us to proceed?"

Phollia sighed, clearing her throat as she launched a red flare into the sky; informing the rest of the Alpha Company that her sector was secured and temporary free of threats, while behind her two MTRs began deploying there infantry squads, who immediately began searching out the burning Guild observational post for survivors." I'm coming up, without the Zalieums' support this could turn bad if the Empire sends a task force size fleet. Release a shuttle to our pre-arrange coordinates for twenty-two hundred hours. Have their been any contact with Admiral Deluez at all."

" None at all They may have headed for Keimos to resupply before returning. It would explain the communication black-out."

' Its_ not like Deleuz not to make contact after-all this time. Keimos is only two weeks away at the Zalieum maximum speed, even less with a faster warship. Could they have run into a Praetorian advance fleet or something_. Aragon, began preparing for possible combat conditions and get the crew in top shape."

" The Guild aren't exactly in our league commander. Are you expecting trouble." Aragon asked.

" After Fifteen years and not a sight of a sinlgle Praetorian ship of any class detected in this or any nearby systems and now the Guild just up and launch their fleet into space much sooner than we thought possible. My instincts tell me the Praetorians are already on their way. How many and what they're bringing with them that I cannot say, but the Zalieum should have made contact by now."

" I was thinking on those lines as well. What do we do with young Kessaro, if things go bad, we may not be able to get back. I can have a shuttle sent for him as well."

Phollia shook her head rapidly before replying." He's of no used to us. If he's having trouble with just a couple of Guild regular troops and those Elite special forces, then he's not ready. The Praetorian will eat him alive. He's alot safer here if you add up and compare the dangers that awaits him out there."

" I understand, I'll began making preparations for your arrival immediately." Aragon replied before going silent on the communication line for several seconds." There's something else you should know."

Phollia frowned and listen silently for the next fifteen minutes as Aragon filled her in on what was happening around the world." So Fort Nirka's off the air for a few days. Thats an impressive feat I'd say, but then again thats to be expected of him. But this Operation Impetus your speaking of, this could be a a major threat and not to mention the damage it can inflict, combine with the loss of an invaluable strategic position, not to mention its current new role. _Damn it, I've worked to hard to get this far, just to watch it all destroy_. Are you sure of its intended target."

" Quite sure, we decrypted the communication ourselves. Its a pretty off the wall plan and exceptionally bold, considering the size of the force involve. An entire battalion, but yet the main attack force itself is only eight expiremental mobile suits piloted by Strykers."

'_ Strykers. The best of the best Elites. The of Guild are pretty confident of their little special operation forces_. I'll inform Malik myself shortly of the current situation, but there's little he can do considering his current position in Unterrem city. Continue monitoring the situation and report as need be until I arrive," Phollia ordered.

" Yes ma'am. Vegnet out."

Phollia closed her eyes for a few seconds and open them before removing a map from a briefcase and began marking their exact position on the plastic cover paper chart. On one of her sub-monitors, she watched with the corner of her eyes as the damaged Lupus D began to stagger to its feet and she flipped to the units frequency." Whose piloting that thing."

Misha appeared on her communication screen." Corporal Asher, ma'am."

Phollia nodded." We're about thirteen kilometers from the Guild main base, Misha your on my back left flank. Maintain a distance of at least one hundred meters at all time. Corporal Asher, your taking Misha's place and providing support in that Lupus D. Your Primary role is to defend the MTRs and the infantry, anything else is secondary, is that clear Corporal."

The Corporal answered back with a high pitched." Yes ma'am."

" Resupply immediately, we move-out in five minutes." The communication monitor beeped once again and Phollia swore under her breathe as she flipped the switch before glancing at the frequency and her blood went cold.'_ Shit._' The frequency was of a long dead, but still active Black Knight emergency communication frequency and as far as she knew, their was only two survivors of the original Noire Knights that were alive, and one was incapacitated for was only one person alive who knew this frequency. Her demeanor change quickly as she began working on a plan and but still she remain silent for thirty seconds before answering." Hello Kailyno. For you to contact me, you must be in need of something only I can provide."

" I need access to a $100 million credits."

There was no humour or any indication of a joke, nor could she recall Kailyn ever cracking one. But still $100 million credits was a huge some of money, especially now that most of their funds had been depleting slowly over the years from various projects she had initiated herself over the years and what was left would barely amount to $10 million credits." A hello would have sounded nice or even a how are you doing mom."

" I need access to a $100 million credits within the next twenty-four hours." repeated Kailyn, this time their was the hint of urgency in his voice.

" Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I don't have that kind of credits. Not anymore."

" Your kidding right. There's no way you can blow away a $100 Billion credits in less than fifteen years. What we're you and Krause doing, trying to build an army with it," Kailyn inquired angrily.

He sounded pissed and with good reasons, but what could she tell him. That it was their money that had built Ratheon Institute from the ground up, funded the Kalaroian Defence Force mobile suit development programmes and was even now paying off Galaga Heavy Industries in monthly installements to manufacture mobile suits and weapons for the Lucan Freedom Alliances, until their own manufacturing facilities were fully operational, which of course had been built using those exact funds. And without access to a sizeable amonut of funds, the LFA would crumble in a matter of weeks from the lack of supplies and knew better than anyone that Kailyn would have a fit if he knew this or worst yet, if he found out that he himself was also a direct sponsor of the LFA, which pretty much made him an invaluable, unexpendable member already, but she didn't have time to make him understand the big picture.

" Why do you need such a huge amount of credits. Last I heard you were fighting the Guild to avenge the death of your friends," Phollia chuckle to herself at the mere thought, before narrowing her eyebrows and becoming serious." Your not planning on doing something stupid with it are you Kailyno. I would persume I taught you better than that, but it seems you've become emotionally attach to would be comrads and weak. Emotions, I desperately tried very hard to prevent from ever happening."

Kailyn sighed over the speaker, Phollia listen with interest as his reasons for wanting the credits poured out in an eight minute speech, once he was done, there was complete silent on both ends of the commmuncation intercom.

Phollia smiled inside as her plan began to take form, even as the aww and impressiveness of Kailyno's situation suddenly dawned on her. It would same he had already survive a score of battles, but was he truly ready for what await him in the depths of space. There was only one way to find out for sure. One test to judge if he was truly ready." I see. I have a better suggestion, you'll get what you want and I'll get what I want. _Not to add we'll see if your ready to began real-style Khimerian combat-training in space and unlock that Limiter in your heads' full potential._"

" I'm listening."

" Change your course and head to Voskav island immediately.I'll make sure the command stuff is aware of your arrival and gives you top clearance and access to what ever you want without questions. In return I want you to pick up a package and bring it to me in Lucan. Consider it as you will a Black Knight order of the highest priority and anything that gets between you and me...

...is to be eliminate with prejudice and shown no mercy. I understand." Kailyn replied coldly." But why to a damn LFA base of all places."

" Don't worry, they won't dare mistreat you in any way or else... I'll see you in a few days. And Kailyno, one final bit of advice. Attachments are unnecessary for us, we could leave this planet at any given moment, at any point of time and if your not strong or skill enough. I will abandone you on this planet without hesitation. Do you read me."

The was a lengthy paused on Kailyn's end of the transmission." Affirmative."

Phollia sighed as she sit more comfortably into the seat while contemplating her next words." There's something you need to know about the Guild, the LFA and one of the sole reasons where on this specific planet." As Kailyn remain silent on the other end, Phollia informed him of exactly what he needed to know and not a bit more. It was necessary that he find out the rest on his own, for now she simply wanted to show him the was his choice to follow it or to choose his one thing was certain, all the paths ultimately led one place.

There was silent on the line and Phollia not expecting Kailyn to answer after his brief update of the situation flipped the switch to OFF.'_ That should give him time to do some serious thinking_.'Switching to another frequency, she made contact with the Arvus class battleship." Get me General Malik immediately. _This shouldn't take long, once I complete this phase of the operation, I'll leave Mitsuba to handle the rest and head for the rendezvous 't be gone for more than a few days and with Kailyno pre-occupied at Voska.I'll be back before he knows I was ever gone_."

' _The only question is. Will he survive what is soon to come his way very soon. Only time and his skills will tell, unfortunately for him time is slowing running out._"

**Aboard the Nemesis**

Vicati dropped her gazed to her Graves' cockpit console." I don't like it. We're betraying people who saved our lives and more. How can you do something like this, its just doesn't seem right Lieutenant."

Athan leaned five inches deeper inside her Grave's hatch, staring down at her." Is it right the Guild have the run of our own country. Turning us into second and third-class citizens in our own home, of course not. We have to do whatever it takes and by all means that we come across to get them out. Even if it means doing something that's not right!"

Vicati flicker her eyes over the twin sticks, contemplating." But why Voskav isles, we'd be better off handing the Nemesis over to the Gia Heights sector. Not those damn navy and marines at Voskav."

Athan shifted his head away from her and gazed downward behind and below him, watching a few technicians converse amongst themselves for a minute." Its to risky to take this to the Gia Heights and besides, Voskav island in the middle of the ocean, far from any Guild influence."

" Damn marines, the perfect place to hide, while we do all the work. So how do you suppose we do this, I doubt Kailyn is just going to listen to us and just whilst on towards Voskav.I don't think he's that stupid not to get an idea what will happen if this aircraft lands there."

Athan shifted his weight slightly." We'll talk to Tabaro first and convince him that our Grave are in need of proper repairs, ammunitions and supplies. Which is the truth."

" Well, let's get this over with," Vicati muttered shifting out of her seat, she waited until Athan nodded and began climbing down, before following close below him. At one point after touching down, he looked up at her butt with a smirk on his face before she hit the deck and off they went to the cockpit.

For her, the trip to the cockpit was long and gloomy, but inside she knew Athan was right, even if it was wrong. The Nemesis was an invaluable aircraft that neded to be put to use for the LFA. To leave it in Kailyn and Tabaro's hands would be a dire mistake. Especially considering these class of aircrafts were being operated by the Elites, equiped with the most sophisticated and state-of-the-art technology currently available, and at the moment was loaded with three very advance mobile suits, equal and superior to their own Graves.

Tabaro tilted his head back as the door open and Vicati heart skip a beat. She hesitated a moment and took a deep breath, before following Athan towards the captains' chair. She only partly listen as Athan give his five minute speech, while she mentally hoped Tabaro refuse the request. But ultimately she knew it wasn't his decision that would decide whether or not they go to Voskav isles.

Tabaro scratched his chin with his thumb and fore-finger." We could definitely used the time to do a proper repair job on the Nemesis and we might get lucky and find some spare parts there.I'll run it by Kailyn." He turned to the communication monitor and tapped a direct link to the captains' quarters.

Its took less than a minute for the screen to open and Kailyn faced appeared on-screen." What is it now."

Vicati couldn't help but notice a twinge of irration in Kailyn voice, something was clearly bothering him. But Tabaro didn't seem to notice right away." We're not to far from the isles of Voskav where a Navy and Marine branch of the LFA have a base. We can make a quick stop there for a day or two, long enough to make some minor repairs and those Graves could definitely used a resupply of their ammunition stocks."

Kailyn eyes narrowed and slowly twisted into a suspicious glare to the shock of them all, his lips formed into a crooked smile, that lasted a split second, but long enough for all three of them too notice it. Vicati and Athan shared a worried glanced as Tabaro shifted in his seat uncomfortably." I see. Well if thats your decision as the acting Captain, do what you want. Far for me to step in on something you decided to do. As long as no one objects to going, I have none."

Tabaro nearly bolted out of his seat, only the retraints kept him seated, while Vicati jaw dropped in shock; at the corner of her eyes, she notice Athan lips forming into a satisfying smirk." Come again. You don't care whether or not we go to Voskave Isles."

Before Kailyn could open his mouth and reply, the radar operated turned around and barked out loud." I just picked up a contact closing in at bearings one-two-nine, speed five-two-five mph, altitude thirty-five thousand feet. Range...damn, there's some kind of EM radiation or minovsky particles jamming."

Tabaro turned back to the screen as Kailyn faced vanish and the data began to be transferred to his monitor." What is it. A nearby Kazan airborne radar platform."

Kailyn spoke from the speakers." I'm heading to the mobile suit deck right now, keep me posted.I'll launched out with the Gizen (r) if need be. I would bet a million bucks its the Guild."

Those words send a shiver down Vicati spined." No way, way out here!"

The radar operator was frantically monitoring his station undisturb, while Alena face turned a different shade of red at the communication station." Range...one-zero-five kilometers and closing fast. The computer says its a...geez...its a High Altitude Transport of the Guild ESF division, one internal linear catapult and with a load capacity of...oh hell. Twelve to sixteen MS. That things right behind us sir."

_'That's less than sixty-five miles out and four times our mobile suits_.' How'd it get this close without us noticing it," Vicati asked, turning to Tabaro whose eyes were fixated on the blip on his screen." Shouldn't radar have picked it up like a hundred miles out or so."

" What is with those guys, don't they ever give up. Just how long and far are they planning on chasing us," Athan moaned.

" To the end of the planet it would same. They must really be pissed off at what we did to Fort Nirka, but you have to admit, catching up to us this quickly is commendable, you have to give the commander of that aircraft some credit for that. Pilot can we outrun them." Tabaro asked.

Sergeant Atrenic never took his eyes away from the control stick or the throttle he grasp tightly." That things moving at five-hundred and twenty-five miles per hour, with this damage ruddervator I can do four hundred and seventy, maybe five hundred and ten miles per hour maxed, but I wouldn't recommend it, sir."

Tabaro nodded." Do the best you can do pilot. That aircrafts moving several miles faster than us at the moment. Which means its getting a mile closer every few seconds. We may have to destroy it, if we can't lose it. But I doubt it came all this way without considering a potential aerial battle. So its feasible it maybe loaded with Lupos Stratuses, which means we can't turn around to engage it directly. Sound the battle alarm."

**Aboard the Biafritz**

" Are you ready Sergeant," Orsini asked softly.

Avena nodded after a moment." I'm ready sir. Anything to help bring that guy down, its my fault he got the Gizen (r) in the first place.I should have destroyed it when I had the chance."

" Nothing gain from unchangeable circumstances Sergeant. Hopefully we can rectify that very soon and go home."

" Yessir. Lets do it."

Orsini turned to the communcation screen and looked directly at the small camera, before signaling the communication officer to flip the switch.

l

Lieutenant Lovichen checked her flight suit one more time, before grabbing her unmarked helmet out of her locker and slamming it shut. The pilot locker room was already empty, most if not everyone was already at combat readiness inside their own MS, checking the status or running pre-flight checks on their MS. It was hard to believe after all her hard work, one attack had left her and her Gizen grounded until further notice. Thanks to Colonel Orsini, not only would she get her chance to take her MS into battle, but she now had the opportunity to payback the very people who had denied her trip to the frontlines in Deikumia, killed of many of her comrads and stolen the Gizen (r).

She turned around and walked to the small door as it slide opened. The_ BiaFritz _hangerbay was awash in noise and chattering as well as crews running to and fro. She looked across and saw Ensign Livin leaning against the far wall gazing across at his Lupos Stratus. He was only twenty years old, but highly skilled from what Captain Raden was saying and had been chosen to lead the first sortee once the order was given to launch, which at the moment could come any minute now." Shouldn't you be in your mobile suit, we could launch any time now."

Livin shrugged, down a cup of water he held in his right hand, crumble the paper cup." Yeah, thats what they've been saying for the last hour or so. How long are we going to wait."

Lovichen shrugged her reply as she headed to her Gizen." No word yet I'm assuming, but it can't be long now."

Livin fell in steps beside her." Six mobile suits to take out one. What ever are those Elites 've got enough firepower to take out an entire air-wing of aircrafts and were wasting it on one aircraft and one mobile suit."

Lovichen agree silently, it was to much firepower for so little an opposition, but orders were orders and beside it would be a nice easy first battle experienced." Consider it a warm up and just deal with that suit real quick, so we can head on towards Deikumia."

" Don't you worry, Lieutenant,' Livin said with confidence." This'll be over real fast and we can go where we are really needed."

**Aboard the Nemesis**

Alena stared at her communication screen and turned to face Tabaro." Sir, I've got an incoming message from that Guild aircraft. Both video and audio."

Tabaro turned to Athan and back to Alena." Shit. What do they want now, nothing else to do, patch it through to my screen. Lets get a look at this guy."

Alena nodded and patched the feed, Tabaro found himself staring at a blue eyed, angle faced officer, with visible tabs of a Colonel of the Elite Syber Force no less. What really worried him was the smirk on this guys' face and the piercing look he gived in returned." I am Colonel Orsini of the Elite Syber Force Intelligence Bureau, who may I asked am I speaking to."

Tabaro contemplated that option for a second as Athan shifted out of view of the monitor's camera, but kept his eyes locked on the screen; was it wise to give his name, but then again, with Fort Nirka in the Guild hand, it would be easy enough to identify him, plus this Elite had shown the courtesy of doing it first." First Lieutenant Tabaro Wilisk, formly of Fort Nirka as you will undoubtly find out soon."

" Tru, should be easy enough to verify. Well Lieutenant Wilisk, is it possible for me to talk directly with the pilot of the Gizen refine. I believe his name is Kailyn Starken." Orsini asked.

Tabaro shifted uncomfortably in his seat, he tried and failed to hide his surprise. Beside him and out of view as well Vicati hissed, while Athan muttered under his breath. Before Tabaro could reply, Kailyn faced popped on the lower left side of the screen." That'll be me and seeing that you've come all this way just to ask for me personally.I'm curious as to know why."

Orsini eyes lit up as recognition flash across his eyes and his smirk vanish into a crooked smile." So your Starken, I will say this, its a pleasure to meet you face to face. But as to why I ask for you personally, I have someone here you may remember that will convey that more easily to you."

Kailyn eyes blinked in confusion as Orsini moved off screen and was replaced a second later by a blonde haired female whose face held a scar from a previous battle. Tabaro was wondering what this was all about, when suddenly, Kailyns' eyes and expression went dark in contrast as he clearly recognized this female. If looks could kill, that stare would be rated in the top five most deadliest glared. How could someone so young look so menacing was beyond Tabaro's understanding, but he was sure about one thing. Whoever this female was, she and Kailyn clearly had a past that did not sit well with Kailyn, because the look he return was one of pure and utter hatred.

" I am First Sergeant Avena Carlita of the Guild Army, you are hereby ordered to change course immediately and prepared to be boarded. Failure to respond to our demands in the next thirty seconds will immediately be met with deadly force. You have exactly twenty-six seconds to comply to our demands," the female named Avena Carlita said, softly and with a look of satisfaction gnawed directly towards Kailyn.

Tabaro hissed as Athan swored inwardly, while Vicati narrowed her eyes. For several intense seconds no one spoke on both ends of the screen as each person consider the demand in different views, while at the same time contemplating the highest possible survial options, for the briefest of moments it was as if the world stood still for this moment in didn't know what to make of the situation, but he knew one thing, in a few short seconds all hell was going to break loose and one way or another, someone was going to die today.

Kailyn shrieked drawed an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of Tabaro stomach and the bile rosed to his throat as his eyes shifted to the lower left side of the monitor before him.

" **YOU. OH, YOU ARE SO FUCKING DEAD, YOU MURDERING BITCH**." Kailyn swored with a high-pitch shriek.

Sergeant Carlita smirked in return across the screen, although her eyes betrayed her uncomfortablity with the current situation and her role in it." Times up, your refusal to comply with our demands has left us no other chance, but to used deadly force to force your hands. Kailyn Starken, you are now responsible for what happens here today."

Kailyn faced and hatered seems to have amplified ten folds in the blink of an eye, by simply hearing this Sergeant Carlita speak his name." **EAT MY SHIT AND DIE BITCH. YOU WANT TO DANCE WITH THE DEVIL, THEN LETS DANCE!!"**

Without warning Sergeant Carlita's face flush red and vanish off screen, then the alarms began ringing aboard the Nemesis. The radar operator was quick to answer any questions as to why." Detecting heat source, library matches it to a Lupos Stratus. Wait, picking up another one, they're coming right behind us at full speed."

Kailyn face vanish off screen with a heart stopping glare. Athan groaned as he walked forward to stand beside Tabaros' seat." Who was that woman and what kind of issues does Kailyn have with her."

Tabaro opened and close his mouth before replying." I've never seen Kailyn this pissed off about something or someone since the Institute days. That Colonel Orsini knew something like this would happen, Kailyns' not focus at the moment. His mind's clouded by anger right now and in mobile suit combat thats a tactical error. He won't fight like he would if he was level headed. This is bad."

Vicati cursed while grumbling out loud." We are so fucked right now. We can't run or hide, we're out numbered and out-class. So whats our option."

Tabaro slumped inside his chair." We pray and hope Kailyn somehow saves us all, cause at this moment he's our one and only chance of somehow surviving this battle!!"

No one said anything after that, Graves couldn't fly, nor could the Kaiser, the only available MS in their arsenal that could meet the enemy in aerial combat was the Gizen (r), and at the moment the pilot was in a fit of untold rage and no one dared tried making contact with him in order to lessen his mood. Their one and only hope was not in his best of moods and to make things worst, he had not recovered from his wounds, that alone could spell trouble for all of them, if only Kailyn was operating at full capacity.


	20. Chapter 19

**Mobile Suit Gundam: Vanguard Blitz**

**Chapter 19**

Having his mind clouded-over by anger was the last possible thing on Second-Lieutenant Kailyn Starken's mind at the moment. He was no fool, he had seen right through that Elite scheme, the moment that bitch responsible for murdering his two friends, Rouk and Oban, face had appeared on screen and he had recognized her features, he had simply responded exactly as he surmise they wanted him to; but still, seeing that face again, although with a new scar he did not remember seeing in their last encounter; he mentally calculated it was probably the result of their battle from days gone by; was by no means a welcoming sight. There was no denying that he wanted her dead as soon as possible, that was one promise he intend to keep, but at the moment, she was an insignificant piece of a larger cake that had brought her to this place and time, but still, he would deal with her at the first given opportunity.

Annistan had called him weak, that alone had left a sour taste in his mouth and then there was the fact, that she had made it abundantly clear that he could very well be abandone on this planet, if he didn't get his act together, and those were the only reasons he wasn't rushing outside in the Gizen (r) hell bent on fragging that Sergeant Avena Carlita and that to-smart-for-his-own-good Elite. But still, to hear that the Praetorian and Guild have a mutual beneficial arrangement had sent a chill down his spine, Annistan had said it was so, but yet he still had his doubts. The Guild had jumped several years in mobile suit and space technology in a very short amount of time, when compared to the other countries, in fact they were ahead by almost a decade. But still, why would the Praetorian Empire, a powerful space capable nation, want with a third-class nation that they could simply cast aside or destroy in a forth night, and then there was that tid-bit about the LFA which was heart-renching, they were even weaker than he had thought, it was hard to believe, he; no,_ they_ were their main source of power and strength. What would happen if they were to vanish like the morning mist.

A specialist stepped in front of him and interrupted his waving train of thoughts." We've removed the shield as you've requested and loaded both Juris, one heat Seraph, a full load of missiles and two spare clips. We're done. But don't forget sir, we did increase the thruster output as you ordered, she won't feel like she did before and she'll burn far more propellant than she used to."

Thinking for a moment, Kailyn responded." Thanks and that'll do. _This shouldn't take long. They should have attacked us thirty minutes ago, before my communication with mom. Now their not even a high priority, but they'll have to die nonetheless. Especially that damn smug-faced Elite, that bitch can wait her turn. But sill, with my injuries, I won't be able to really let loose."_

l

" What's taking that suit so long to launched?"

" Heck if I know, we're less than ten klicks away and nothing yet." Livin replied to his wingman as he zoomed his main camera in on the El Nino that was several kilometers directly ahead, Ensign Nary Phical who was twenty feet to his left and matching his Lupos Stratus aerial-speed.

Livin refuse to admit it to anyone, but he was slightly worried, the second pair of Lupos Stratuses were suppose to launch only after the Gizen (r) had been detected leaving the air-ship ahead, the longer it took to launch, also meant the longer reinforcements would take to arrive, and after seeing the face of their target twist into a bone chilling glare first hand, he began to seriously reconsider the rumours he had dismissed earlier as foolishness; about that very guy taking out, not one, but several Elites over the past few days. But still, their were two of them and those had been ground battles, was this guy as good in the air as he was suppose to be on the ground. Livin swore and decide there was only one way to find out and he began to increase his throttle stick forward a notch, increasing his speed; he didn't make it this far to be afraid of a single guy." Targets still out of sensor range, but dead ahead. Increase speed and draw him out."

With that Livin pushed his throttle forward slow and easy to build up the speed, the light-blue and grey trimmed Lupos Stratus began rocketing ahead to where the El Nino was flying gracefully. His 40mm multi-barrel gatling cannon raised ahead as his wingman also increase his thruster output, catapulting both atmospheric mobile suits ahead at full burn.

l

Almost as soon as Kailyn slumped into the Gizen (r) seat and closed the cockpit hatch in front of him, the communication screen open and revealed the face of an uneasy and very worried looking Tabaro. Kailyn muttered," What now?"

" Just wanted to say to be careful, your haven't exactly recovered from your injuries and personally, I don't know the deal with you and that Sergeant, but Kailyn, their playing a mind game with you. Don't walk into their trap."

Kailyn only half listen as he run through his Gizen (r) checklist, double checking the oxygen connection to his helmet, most of the checklists had already been done, but it didn't hurt to check for yourself to make sure everything was in working order."Don't worry, I did exactly what they expected me to do and nothing more. That Elite doesn't know shit about me. I'm not the same Kailyn Starken I was thirty minutes ago."

Tabaro blinked in surprise, and his face twisted in confusion on the screen." You mean...

" I'm as calm as a well fed baby after burping. It'll take more than that bitch to rattle my cages," responded Kailyn as he threw-on his new snow-white helmet with a freshly painted black skull with two red-hot heat blades criss-cross insignia on the left-side, which was in contrasts to his new insignia of a silver, white and red human skull, with flaming red eye sockets and one heat blade on the left and a 60mm assault rifle on the right painted on the Gizen (r) left shoulder armor." Continue on ahead and don't turn around to engage no matter what happens."

Tabaro nodded his understanding, but still held a suspicious stare and Kailyn simply switched the communication switch to OFF, his face degenerated into a cold exterior before he activated the main camera and with that took full control of the twin sticks, the Gizen (r) took its first step forward at his command as the hangerbay door open slowly in front of him.

The face of Alena popped on a sub-monitor." We're only detecting two Lupos Stratus so far, distance nine kilometers, course three-one-three and closing real fast, sir."

" Only two, their either real confident with that number or waiting to see what we do first. This should be interesting," Kailyn chuckled, his mood changing." Kailyn launching!" The Gizen (r) began its the powering-up sequence of its main backpack thrusters as the metallic blast shield flipped up into place behind him, protecting the interior of the hangerbay from its immense heat. He felt a shudder as he leapt clear into the outside world and spent a few seconds oriented himself in mid-air on a direct course for the two Lupos Stratuses, before igniting his thrusters to three quarter power and with that he began shooting ahead in the clear blue sky with the sole intention of blowing pass those Lupos Stratus as he tested their abilities and the added thrust of the Gizen (r), before he would come from behind them and ending this real quick and bloody, before reinforcements could arrive.

l

" The Gizen (r) have launched, began operation," the combat operator onboard the _Biafritz_ informed both Lupos Stratus pilots immediately as the streaked towards the El Nino.

Livin felt a cold chill run down his spine as he acknowledge her information just as he saw the thruster flare dead ahead on his main camera picture, a sub-monitor zoomed in and identified the Gizen (r) coming in at them at high speed. The metallic black suit with a heinous looking human skull charge directly towards them, and he brought up his 40mm gatling cannon while opening a communication link to Ensign Phical." Do it like we practiced, short control burst to increase accuracy and save ammo. You got it Phical."

" Don't worry about me sir, this guys fuck," Phical replied as he fired of a short control burst of 40mm tracers, but the Gizen (r) maneuvered around the tracers path and never once slowing down against the lines of tracers as it bear down on them.

Livin cursed and opened fired as well, but the damn suit slipped to the side, away from his tracers path and barrel roll around Phicals added fire as its wing binders and leg thrusters flare in and out in rapid thrust ." _This thing's faster than the stats says it would be_." He brought his Lupos Stratus to a complete stop in mid-air, vernier thrusters flaring and wings binders outstretched to keep him in a stationary hovering position in mid-air and open fired at full burn, ignoring his own earlier advice to Ensign Phical. But could only watched in awe as the suit twisted right, avoiding his tracers, then left, away from Phical's tracers, up and then down at a speed and reaction his own Lupos Stratus could never accomplish and still dodging his own and Phicals' combine 40mm tracers with an ease that left an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of Livin stomach, before blasting pass them and climbing up into the clouds above them with a long thruster flare and twin lines of tracers behind it.

Livin turned around, while tracking the suit on his main camera and firing his tracers in pursuit as it vanish out of sight into the clouds with the 40mm shells whipping pass by inches it seemed, all the while Livin was yelling into his helmet mircophone." This guy's pretty good Phical, watch yourself and take his right flank."

Livin increase thruster output and give chase even as Phical voice answered " Roger" into his headphone. With a satisfactory smile on his face, Livin rushed head-long into the clouds, searching out his black painted target and tracking it on his Lupos Stratus short-range radar. It was definitely fast and radar lost it several times in the space of a few seconds, mainly due to the low levels of minovsky particles left behind by the El Nino, but it was flying directly towards a second blip, which identified itself as Phical's Lupos Stratus on his radar screen. Livin turned slightly in mid-air to intercept, when his radar lost track of the Gizen (r) yet again and he cursed. Without radar. It was impossible to tell the distance and altitude of the enemy suit.

Out of the corner of his eyes Livin spotted Phical's Lupos Stratus's thruster flares and change course inorder for them to reform and coordinate their search. There was no need to rush this, time was on their side. In a few minutes, two more Lupos Stratuses would be joining them and they could search out the enemy with numbers and with a higher chance of success on their side.

That plan turn to mushed as Phical suddenly flipped his Lupos Stratus on its back, its wing binders flaring brightly and fired a long burst of 40mm HEI-T high-velocity tracers upward as seemingling out of no-where came down the Gizen (r), Livin zoomed in and stared shocked as it crash landed on Phical Lupos Stratus torso, knocking it downwards into the clouds below and for a brief second Livin saw its mone-eye camera inside the X-shape face-plate shifted inside its turret in his direction and flashed brightly, before both suits vanish out of sight, with Phical suit acting like a surfing board in mid-air and the ensign screaming his shock and fear into Livins' headphone.

Livin swore and dove in the direction both suit had vanish, hell bent on saving Phical and bringing down the Gizen (r), but ultimately forgetting about his own safety.

l

Finally, Raden thought as his Lupos CT stepped into the leg clamps of the catapult, a completely different but yet similiar technology not unlike the vertical launch catapult he had gotten so used to. The electromagnetic slingshot as it was called, was said to be capable of tossing a fully loaded APC half a mile out. As the electromagnetic forces took hold of his mobile suit, Raden silently prayed the catapult technicians had reset the magnetic field for his Lupos CT and not for Lieutenant Lovichen Gizen or even a Lupos Stratus. Precise prelaunch pressure loads must be finetuned to each mobile suit's weight, but these crews were quickly assemble and were still learning the process and if the nominal Lupos CT settings were to low, he could very well be flung straight out into the open sky, to high and his mobile suits' structure might fail.

A young female operator faced filled his communication monitor." Alpha and Delta units have engage the Gizen (r), Beta and Gamma units are four minutes out and proceeding on an intercept course, Captain."

" Thank you," Raden replied bringing up the units designation on a sub-screen to refresh his memory, before closing the screen." I'll need course update every other minute and periodic updates on the battle itself."

The operator nodded before replying." Yessir."

Raden ripple his finger tips over his seat, before switching comm frequency over to the Gizen." Lieutenant, once the destruction of that Gizen (r) has been confirmed, proceed to the El Nino. You have the faster suit of us all and much better weaponary. It shpu;dn't be a problem for at all."

" I'll do my best sir," Lovichen replied.

Raden chuckled." Don't worry, this is a piece of cake." he performed a quick final systems checks before receiving a signal from the signal Operator on his sub-monitor and he bellowed." Raden Lupos Commander Type launching!" The electromagnetic forces of the linear catapult flung his Lupos CT into the clear blue sky and Raden ignited his thrusters to full burn and aiming for the last known coordinates of the Ensign Livin and Phical Lupos Stratuses positions, with his 40mm gatling cannon clutched close to his torso.

l

A split second after losing track of the second Lupos Stratus as the cloud covered his main camera view, Kailyn tilted the Gizen (r) main camera downward at his first victim and without hesitating or remorse for what he was about to do, level the Juri's 60mm barrel at the cockpit where the pilot sat screaming his anguish-shock with a hint of fear and fired twice between the Gizen (r) metallic boots, the AP rounds punching cleanly through the lightly armored mobile suit with no difficulty at a distance of a single meter, befored using it as a spring board and using the thruster binders to leap free and clear of the dead suit. He then only paid scant attention to the Lupos Stratus as it blew smoke out of its backpack and a few seconds later the suit tore itself apart in a fiery explosion, as its remains left a smoking trail downwards.

As the trail of smoke and metal debris continued downward, Kailyn turn the Gizen (r) around and spotted the Lupos Stratus rushing towards him as he expected it would, its machinegun spitting tracers like no tomorrow, he drew the Seraph heat blade and swung towards the incoming MS, while firing a single 60mm round with each click of the Juris' trigger with the right hand as he lined up the Lupos Stratus in his sight, while at the same time avoiding its incoming tracers by mere inches. As soon as the Lupos Stratus distance dropped to 100 meters, he rolled the Gizen (r) on its back and tracked his target on his main camera as three visible streaks whipped pass by inches, he jerked the trigger a split second before the octagon shape recticule confirmed a lock-on. The 60mm AP round went cleanly through the Lupos Stratus right hand, just above the elbow joint, knocking its machinegun loose, to fly aimlessly towards the ground. The second shot came milliseconds later, blowing the Lupos Stratus head cleanly off, its former location showing visible signs of smoke and sparks on its neck, while knocking its main camera off-line permanently.

Kailyn level the Gizen (r) upright as he close-in on the Lupos Stratus, with his left hand holding the Seraph heat blade, it ignited at his command into a super heated close contact-weapon, as the short distance between the two suits dropped rapidly. The Lupos Stratus pilot was desperately trying to stabilized his suit, while cursing the slow response of his secondary camera systems, the Lupos Stratus continuely dropped uncontrollably from the pilots' enability to determine up from down without any active cameras. Kailyn slashed the Lupos Stratus across the torso, aiming for the cockpit hatch and a quick death as he normally do, feeling the shudder as the blade sink into the cockpit, but failing to slice the Lupos Stratus cleanly in two, but the damage was done and Kailyn veered away as the suit exploded behind him and dropped away like a falling star.

The red mono-eye of the Gizen (r) flashed and glimpsed a fresh pair of thruster flares in the distance at the exact moment a familiar electrical spike run through the back of his skull, followed by the missile threat receivers blaring into his eardrums, forcing him to turn the Gizen (r) fully around towards the new arrivals, while relatching the left hand Seraph heat blade and replacing it with the second 60mm Juri watched the two Lupos Stratuses fire a pair of air-to-air missiles apiece, from a distance of seven thousand meters, even as they draw their GAU-25 40mm gatling cannon in the distance.

With a startle yelp, Kailyn swung his Gizen (r) on his back and increase thrusters to fly away from the incoming missiles that were already traveling at the speed of sound, but suddenly without warning his minds eye perceived them as if they were traveling in slow motion and he hesitated for split second not immediately understanding this new visual sensation. His hands at his command reacted with lightning fast reflexes and level both 60mm Juris towards the incoming missiles, as his perception watched the streaking projectiles with fire on their tails, pushing them ahead with the sole purpose of ending his life.

The right-hand 40mm Juri fired first, the 40mm armor-piercing round cutting through the sky with the sound of thunder behind it and mindlessly plowed into the leading air-to-air missiles infrared-seeker head, through its fuel tank and out of its engine exhaust plumes. The missile erupted into flames as it exploded from the inside outward, the explosion knocking the other missiles momentarily off course for a few milliseconds, but they were quick to re-acquire there target and adjust course accordingly.

But as it was, Kailyn was already firing with the left-hand Juri, exploding the second missile with a sinlge AP round into its body and quickly alternating back to his right-hand Juri and destroying a third missile at four hundred meters distance with a AP round into the infrared-seeker head. Kailyn swung his Gizen (r) around a millisecond before the fourth and final missile could connect with his Gizen (r) armor with its deadly head, the Gizen (r) evaded the missile by centimeters and the main camera tracked the lone missile as it flew downwards and both Juris adjusted their barrels and fired a single round simulthaneous. The missile change course to reacquire its target as the 60mm rounds whipped pass, missing it by several millimeters, but still scrapping the grey paint off its body. The missile never got a chance to reacquire its target, as a burst of the head mounted 40mm vulcan cannons rounds punch through its head, one coming out its body and two other rounds coming out of its engine casing, turning the air-to-air missile into a fireball of metal fragments.

" My turn you fucks," snarled Kailyn releasing the trigger sticks for the head mounted vulcan cannons and kicking the Gizen (r) thrusters into full burn and swinging the mobile suit around in the smallest arc possible; to small for a jet-fighter and speeding towards the two Lupos Stratuses, while relatching the right-hand Juri and using the now empty right hand to stabilize the barrel of the left. He triggered three consecutive rounds towards the frontal right Lupos Stratus at a distance of four hundred meters at the same instant both mobile suits open up with their own Gatling cannons. The HEI-T rounds missed by several inches, but Kailyn AP rounds was deathly accurate. One AP round sheared the GAU-25 40mm gatling in the frontal Lupos Strauts right hand in mid-firing rotation into pieces, the second round punch a hole in the atmospheric mobile suits lower torso. The third rounded punch a neat hole in the Lupos Stratus upper torso, striking the pilot in the left shoulder and exiting his back to continue on and ultimately tearing a fuel line and exiting the backpack thrusters.A split second later, the damage propellant tanks ignited and mobile suit tore itself apart from within with a brilliant explosion.

That left the second Lupos Stratus pilot momentarily stunned as he brought his Lupos Stratus to a complete stop and began hovering above the fireball, watching his wingman going down, trailing a river of black smoke. A deadly mistake in any battle. To remain still, is to invite death and the pilot never saw death approaching from behind in the form of half a dozen 60mm AP rounds. None missed, all raked the Lupos Stratus in its stationary hovering position, resulting in multiple explosions that erupted from within, until nothing was left of the mobile suit other than a cloud of black smoke where the proud machine had once hovered and that smoke only lasted a few seconds longer, before that to was whisked away by the wind.

Glacing once at the fragments of the Lupos Stratus, Kailyn veered away from last wisp of smoke that was once a burning Lupos Stratus and rocketed back towards the Nemesis.A quick glanced at his fuel stats told him to stick as close to the Nemesis as possible for now, even as he reloaded each Juri one at a time with a fresh clip. The aerial battle was not over, he knew that much. Those self proclaimed best of the best of the special forces community were just to irrational to know when to back off.

Kailyn had barely sighted the Nemesis less than two klicks ahead, below the cloud layer when the Gizen (r) flashed a warning from its active sensors and he spun around in mid-air to the source with a sudden twinge of annoyance. A pair of heat sources from a distance told him that he had more suits incoming; the computer marked both mobile suits, and quickly displayed the data on the screen from its memory bank." One Lupos CT and a Gizen. This would be interesting if I wasn't burning more propellant than normal with these increase in thruster output.

He could easily leave the Lupos CT in his exhaust fumes with the added speed and no doubt outrun the Gizen as well, but with his current fuel levels already reaching the half-way mark, it was best to save as much as he could, plus his new victims were freshly supply and it wouldn't be a smart move to waste propellant. Kailyn gripped the throttle stick and dropped the Gizen (r) into cruising speed, let them burn their fuel in order to over-take him. Not to mention there was the added bonus of increasing his distance to the Nemesis.

**Lucan**

Captain Rilius Revfrem played with the left-overs of his dinner at the foot of his Lupus X. It wasn't worth eating, he thought, so he might as well get some sort of pleasure even if it was a small amount from it. The men of his 13th MRC; of which only five of the original members remain, along with the five mix bagged of Lupus Ds and Bs, sixteen Series 61 MBT, eight Thrankas and five Vosgoves on loan from Opan AFB, along with the eighty soldiers that had survive the failed attempt of recapturing Safovis base, sat enjoying the chance to rest and finally get something to eat. The entire company, more correctly, an under strength battalion had been ordered by Colonel Brium to increase the defense of his northern flank from any possible enemy attack and because of that the men had spent all night preparing fighting positions on the small hill overlooking the town of Vesgin. Since there had never been an engineer unit along with them, all the work had been done by mobile suits and by hand.

Revfrem took it as a personal insult to be sent on a egg sittingmission. His failure at Sofavis base had no doubtly affected his reputation and there was no doubt that Colonel Brium had wanted him as far away from main forces currently in a heated engagement to retake Unterrem city as possible. The heavy losses he had suffered with the two failed attempt at retaking Sofavis base, with not a single gain on the second attempt weighed heavily on the Captains' mind. Revfrem didn't care much for his current assignment. But at least he was free to do as he please, so long as he secured the route towards L-41E Highway and prevent any possible interruption of that vital supply route.

He turned away from his probbing of a mass of orange blob that could have been pudding or jello on his plate with a plastic fork and stared at his men, while mentally deciding, that if by a miracle they did have to fight, it would be a fight to the last an. There was no way he would suffer a third defeat. Allowing his mind to wander, Revfrem thought that things couldn't have been any worse; but then again, the colonel could have sent one of his aids to keep an eye on him or much worst.

At the corner of his eyes, Revfrem saw one of his communication technicians heading towards him at break-neck speed and for a brief moment his heart leapt with the hope of a possible reassignment and slowly degenerated into anguish as he recall Colonel Brium hasty reply to his request for reassignment not two hours ago.

" Captain Revfrem, we've just lost contact with all four observational outpost in Red Sector area. The Tank platoons you dispatched to reinforce those positions earlier also fail to report in." the man reported in between gasp of deep breath.

Revfrem swore as he stood to his full height." When exactly was contact loss."

" Thirty minutes ago, they failed to report in ten minutes ago as was pre-ordered."

" And why wasn't I made aware of this sooner. Assemble the mobile suit commanders quickly, its possible we have guest coming our way and I want to have a warm welcome waiting to greet them," Revfrem barked." Well, what are you waiting for, get to it immediately."

The man nodded once and scurried away, even as Revfrem began climbing towards the cockpit of his Lupus X. Finally, there was a scant chance this mission may yield some interesting obstacles, he thought.

**22,000 feet above the ocean**

The magistical natural body of fine drops of water or particles of ice in the air, also known as a cloud was at twenty-one thousand feet. To the west, the sun was slowly beginning its final trek of the day to its resting place and everything, be it man or beast, were preparing for the long night to come. A beep on Kailyn's Gizen (r) monitor gaved him the warning he had been waiting for; the two MSs behind him had gotten within range of his sensors." Lupos Commander Type or is it the Gizen your piloting you damn Elite bastard. No matter, I'll destroy you both."

He glanced once at his sub-camera monitors, they were still out of visual range and then at his current fuel stats, he had dropped below the half-way mark, but that didn't matter. This would would be over before it really matters. Suddenly something flashed in front of his screen and he locked his main camera on it and zoomed in to full magnification. The two mobile suits were in tight formation blazing in on his position rapidly. Kailyn turned his attention back towards the Nemesis, it was still a good distance ahead of him should they attempt to go after it.' _Time to get started.'_

l

" This guy killed off four Lupos Stratus in less than ten minutes, Lieutenant. Lets not waste time on this guy and do this real fast," Captain Raden locked onto the Gizen (r) in the distance, its thruster fumes giving off enough heat to guide a blind man in the desert; perfect for a missile attack, he flipped the switch to missiles and fired two of the high speeding ASM from the Lupos CT torso mounted launcher at exactly the moment he had confirmed a lock-on, before switching back to his 40mm gatling cannon. The Gizen (r) flipped on its back as the high speeding rockets close-in and its head seemed to burst into fire as it stitched a line of high-velocity tracers from its 40mm vulcan cannon, the tracers cutting the distance between them in the blink of an eye and destroying both missiles before they could get close enough to the Gizen (r) do any sort of damage.

'_ Shit! This guy's a real fucking pain in the ass_. Lieutenant draw his attention, while I bag him from below." A tracer whizz pass in front of them as the lone Gizen (r) return fire.

Lovichen level her 20mm gatling gun and braced herself for the recoil; which in mid-air was much stronger, and fired off a barrage of 20mm (APFSDS) and 25mm Armor-Piercing Incendiary (API) tracers as the mobile suit shook around her; the Gizen (r) dodge the lines of tracers and dropped low, but a burst of 40mm HEI-T rounds from below, force the pilot back up, its thrusters flaring brightly and back-flipped in mid-air away from the tracers dangerous upward arc.' _Dammit. That was close, we almost had him_.'

Both Lupos CT and Gizen re-formed up, level their primary weapons at the MS less than six hundred meters ahead of them and fired a combine massive barrage of tracers. The Gizen (r) flew to the left to avoid getting hit by the approaching lines of tracers, not only was the pilot able to used the Gizen (r) maneuvering thrusters to evade the combine tracers that tracked in on him, but he was using the wing binders one at a time to move him back, forward, right or left to avoid getting harmed. A few tracers connected, but not enough to stop or cripple the MS. When it became apparent that it was becoming to difficult to dodge the combine volley, the pilot pushed its thrusters to the limit as it twisted around a line of tracers with unnerving agility and came towards them at break-neck speed. Suddenly his left wing thruster binder deactivated and his right thrutser binder increase thrust, pushing him to the left as two smoke trails appeared on his torso armor, while firing several rounds of its assault-rifle consecutively towards them.

Lovichen stop tracking the Gizen (r) long enough to avoid the high-velocity tracers and turn to target the incoming Mach-2 missiles fired from the Gizen (r) torso launchers with her 25mm gatling gun as Raden's Lupos CTs ejected its empty 100-round ammo pod less than eighty-meters to her upper right, reloaded with a fresh pod and opened fired; spitting 2400 rounds of tracers a minute towards the incoming projectiles, effectively emptying her MS-TS1S3 4-barrel 25mm Gatling gun's ammo drum. The lines of mixed tracers connected with the incoming ASMs and the twin explosions ripple across the sky, creating fragments of burning shrapnels and black smoke.

Instinctively Lovichen ejected the empty gun along with its weapon systems from the shield and twisted in mid-air, her mono-eye searching right and left trying to locate the Gizen (r), while snagging the TMG-23/R2 90mm heavy assault machinegun from her back armor rack, with her right hand. She spotted it engage with the Lupos CT and watched on her monitor as the black Gizen (r) whipped around in an arc upright, while spitting single rounds of tracers from its assault-rifle set at semi-automatic mode at Captain Radens Lupos CT. The Lightning Hawk was in serious trouble and Lovichen could see it clearly on her main camera picture, while the shot from the assault-rifle fail to connect, the periodic burst of 40mm vulcan cannon rounds were on target. Striking the poorly armored Lupos CT constantly, but failing to do any significant damage.

Lovichen tore towards the two suits dueling at high speed, while bringing up her 90mm heavy assault machine and flipping her communication switch." Captain Raden, break away now." She leveled the 90mm barrel ahead immediately and fired a three-round burst well out of targeting range of her the Gizen targeting scope and of course her three tracers went wide.

l

The three 90mm API tracers from the Gizen's heavy assault machinegun whipped pass between Kailyn Gizen (r) and the Lupos CT. Kailyn couldn't immediately decide on whether the Guild pilot was incredibly gifted at handling a machinegun at mid-range or insanely stupid;those tracers could have easily struck that Lupos CT. But the tracers did buy the Lupos CT pilot' enough time to recover and increase the distance between the two MSs. To bad for the Gizen pilot. Kailyn dropped his crosshairs over the Gizen, seeing that the pilot was in such a rush to save the Lupos CT, it was only fair that pilot took its place. Kailyn minds eye watched the mobile suit, feeling the pilots anguish and animosity at him, and he shifted the Juris' 60mm barrel slightly to the right on an unconscious move and press the trigger, stitching a three round burst at the incoming MS. He watched as the tracers whizzed towards the Gizen, its pilot reacting on pure instinct and dodging to the right; directly into the path of the three API rounds; he knew the armour platings of the Gizen was more refined and thicker than the Lupos CT, but it was still no much for the penetrating power of a Juris' and its armor-piercing, incendiary rounds.

Kailyn felt it first, followed seconds later by the high-pitched warning tone of his threat receivers and he reacted on reflexes hone from years of intensive combat training. He immediately somersaulted the Gizen (r) with near perfect timing of its wing thruster binders and thrust vectoring backpack thrusters,--practically flipping head over heels--pulled on the twin control sticks until it was at the forward stop like an aircraft, and jammed the throttle at full power. Even as he watched monitors at the corner of his eyes as the Gizen's left hand stabilizing the 90mm heavy assault machinegun's barrel in the right shattered into metal fragments and its torso armor blew black smoke as the three round connected, even as he held the bank until he had turned fully upright again, while twisting in mid-somersault to face the Lupos CT as it blazed in on him head-on, its 40mm gatling gun pose for a final was no dodging this incoming assault and Kailyn knew it mentally.

_'Shit!_

But the Gizen (r) computer systems wasn't built to respond to an in-human reflex action and because of that, it wasn't fast enough to fully complete its heard a loud explosion off to the left, the MS shudder as it completed its somersault, and the left thruster binder Fire warning on the diagram came on." Sonofabitch!" Kailyn shouted. The Gizen (r) computer system had automatically began an emergency engine shutdown, but the shaking was to rough and he couldn't accurately read the blurry had to trust the computer were still functioning and it would complete the emergency shutdown checklist before the fire destroyed the MS. But his main concern at that moment, was the whereabouts of that Lupos CT that was bearing down on him.' _Where is he_?"

It took several critical seconds for Kailyn to recover the mobile suit and maneuvered it into a stable upright position, his eyeslocked on the main screen picture, Gizen (r) mono-eye snapping to and fro, searching out the whereabouts of the Lupos CT. It was nowhere in sight. Kailyn quickly checked the Gizen (r) status, while watching out for any tell-tale signs of the Lupos CT. He found it several hundred meters below his Gizen (r), its arm wrapped around the Gizen as if embracing the damage MS, the pilot had no doubtly decide to rescue the falling Gizen rather than finish him off during his somersault, with its thrusters flaring and wings outstretched, the Lupos CT turn around and blazed away with the Gizen held tightly in its grasp, within moments they were hidden amoung the clouds.

One glance at his fuel stats and Kailyn decided not to pursue a very easy kill. Four Lupos Stratus kills were more than enough for the time being and their would undoubtly be more very soon. He immediately turn in the direction the Nemesis had continued flying and went ahead at max thrust ( without the left thruster binder)--away from the Lupos CT and Gizen, and away from the HAT transport that was probably very near and in the midst of deploying more Lupos Stratuses.

**Outskirts of Vesgin, Lucan**

As Phollia's Grave walked past what had once been a Guild Vosgove APC, now turned into a burning hulk of twisted scrap metal from the deadly rounds of her 100mm machinegun, the terrain beyond opened up before her. The hill that was their primary objective was directly in front about three kilometers away. The Lucan countryside was lush and green on this warm summer evening, just like any ordinary summer pre-sunset evening. There wasn't anything to indicated the fact; that seven years ago, nine thousand men and women died here during the war. The very idea that this quite and beautiful landscape had bled so much blood and taken so many lives, seem absurd.

But it had once been a high-stakes battlefield. As the rest of her team moved out from what ever cover remain, all eyes for kilometers around were turning on it. Lieutenant Mitsubas' 2nd Platoon half a kilometer to the left, and Lieutenant Ahern's 1st Platoon a kilometer to the right, watched as Phollia's 3rd Platoon as it walked or rolled forward. Alpha Company was ready for battle. Guns were oriented to cover their assign sectors and all but the MTR commanders were button up and ready for action. Mitsuba and Ahern watched with morbid curiosity, waiting to see what would happen next and thankful that they weren't the ones going to be out in the open first. Unlike the Guild base back in Deikumia, the enemy here knew they were coming and had known for some time now, more than enough time to set-up an ambush. But even knowing that, they could not turn back, this hill had to be taken-out, one way or another, and there was no denying the fact that the price to be paid here would be high.

They wouldn't have been surprise that they were right. The Guild to were also watching. Their reaction of course was different. They began to scramble to meet the advancing rebel forces that had killed so many of their comrads over the last few days. Reports of movements were flashed to their Sergeants, who in turn forward the information the Lieutenants in the rear. Gunners threw down their half eaten mess tins and slide into positions. Loaders and ammo bearers prepared to load the next round, fresh clips were checked inside the massive 76mm heavy machineguns, 140mm cannons or 380mm bazookas, safeties were removed.A new battlefield was about to re-blood the beautiful Lucan countryside once again.

3rd Platoon had two obstacles that increase the hills defense and both had to be negotiated. The first was an old abandone railroad embankment that ran across their front. Going over it for the mobile suits would be no problem. Even the tracked MTR could do it. The problem was it required the MTRs to slow down. This of course would break up their formation momentarily, and as the tracks went over it, their soft underbellies would be exposed to direct fire, with no chance of evading. If they were going to be hit, this is where Phollia expected it.

The first MTR came up and began to go forward. Phollia exhale calmly as she watched the multiple angles of her main camera pictures at once, the modified IFV/personel carrier crest the embankment, hang there a moment fully exposed, then drop down to the other side. Two more MTRs followed and dropped to the other side. Nothing Happen. The MTR rolled on. Perhaps the Guild were waiting for the mobile suits, perhaps they wanted to let the MTRs go over and let the embankment seperate the Company, reducing the mobile suits ability to provide covering fire, before firing.

Then it was Phollia's turn, as commander she should remain in the rear and command, but she prefer to see things herself as they develope. Misha level his Grave 100mm machinegun to provide covering fire if the need arise. As soon as the Grave stepped into the embankment, he scanned the landscape with his telephoto lens, and watched a the corner of his eyes as Phollia began to walk forward. Corporal Asher by instinct, dropped the barrel of his 76mm heavy machinegun to keep it level with a mobile suit size weapon and stepped forward slowly. Phollia gripped the twin-controls tightly, cursing Malik and his hastily laid plans and limited man-power to carry-out those plans, while instantly ready to elevate her 100mm machinegun at the first sign of a threat she knew was lurking just ahead. As the Grave crushed the embankment and walked over, Misha prepared to move forward himself, while keeping his gun leveled low searching for the tell-tale signs of enemy tanks or mobile suits they all knew were somewhere ahead.

As the Grave continued forward, Phollia felt an uneasiness at the back of her head. She turned the main camera around and watched the rest of the Company come over the embankment two at time. Satisfy that they weren't going to be hit here, she turned back to the front and eyed the next obstacle, a stream that, like the railroad embankment, ran perpendicular to their direction. The first MTR was already down in the stream and halfway across when she turned around. The stream was small and deep from years of erosions and MS stomping back and forth in it and the result had created a forty meter wide with embankments six meters high. Corperal Asher eased the one armed Lupus D down into the streambed, crossed and began to climb the far bank. They were halfway up when the shit Phollia had expected anytime now hit the fan.

Several flashes from their objective were followed almost instantly by a rapid booming sound and the sudden appearance of a column of dirt in front of Asher's Lupus D."**BACK! BACK!GET BACK IN THE DITCH!!"** The sudden sight of multiple flashes coming from several directions threw everyone into reached action on both sides. Phollia reached out with her 100mm machinegun and fired a volley, even as the lead MTR discharge a smoke grenade in a bid to conceal itself. The three HE rounds whipped across the ridge in front of her as high-velocity tracers whizz back and forth as both side began firing wilding and inaccurately, a cloud of smoke and a flash of fire exploded where her rounds came into contact with something, even as the smoke grenade from the MTR shrouded the area in a curtain of white smoke.

Flipping the radio switch on her communication screen, Phollia keyed the ." All Alpha Company elements--deploy into a line in the streambed--Break-Asher get back here on the double-out."

Commanders were paid to make decisions. Sometimes there is ample time to consider all angles, to analyze the situation, develope several courses of action, compare each, and then decide which alternatives is best. Then there are occasions when there is no time for all that, occasions when a commander must see, decide and act in almost the same instant. This was one of those times.

"All units prepare to engage."

Phollia looked to the right and saw the last MTR to move forward halted below her MS. 2nd Platoon was entering the streambed and pulling up, while spitting tracers ahead of them. Phollia turned to the left and saw two other MTRs plop back into the streambed. They had also fired their grenade launchers. She turned back to the front. The smoke was beginning to dissipated. Off to the front left about eighty meters from her Grave, an MTR was stopped in the open and on fire. There was a burning man hanging from the troop door in the back of the vehicle. Bright red flames spilled out of the door and the hatches on top. Corporal Asher Lupus D took a burst of high-velocity tracers, staggered backwards and remain upright long enough to fire a burst of 76mm rounds ahead of it, before doubling over and bursting into flames and metal fragments as it took a bazooka hit in the torso.

Phollia calculated the bazooka round projectory in the blink of an eye, twisted the barrel of her 100mm machinegun to compensate and stitched a line of tracers without bothering to first confirmed that there was an enemy in that location. Her Grave's mono-eye swivel around to follow the tracers. The view was obstructed by the impacting three rounds and the cloud of dust they created.

Phollia snapped her eyes over the main camera and confirmed what she had mentally calculated. The enemy mobile suit she had not seen before was now visible as it stagger backwards from the three rounds impacting its upper torso armor and collapse in a heap on the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. But instead of congratulating herself, she had a team to run. She had no time to play commander right now. She had to let her company search out the targets on their own and engage them when they were spotted." All units this is Captain Phollia, adjust fire and began bombardment of primary objectives. I repeat began bombardment of primary objective, all guns fire at will."

Less than ten seconds later, the hill overlooking the town of Vesgin appeared to lift up as the high velocity 100mm tracers, 310mm bazookas and 140mm cannon rounds impacted. Bits of trees, grass and fountains of dirt rose up above the tree and the number of incoming round decrease almost immediately." All units began advancing at will and keep the bombardment coming."

As a single unit, Alpha Company began to advance. For the second time, Phollia walked up over the stream. This time there would be no retreating. Her Grave landed on level ground with a crash and took off at full ground speed. A line of four Graves and two MTRs to the left of Phollia and charging forward past Asher's burning Lupus D and then a burning MTR.A Grave that had been to the right of Phollia took a full burst of 76mm rounds across its torso and stopped, half stepping out of the streambed. It began to stagger backwards, dropping into the stream burning and cracking as its 100mm machinegun ammo cooked off. Lieutenant Oster Liter was dead. The rest of Alpha Company was out and running or rolling forward further to the right, firing as they moved forward.

Misha yelled out." Lupus B engaging!"

His Grave 100mm machinegun stutter in the right hand as it sprayed a line of high-velocity tracers across the ridge. Phollia snapped her mono-eye to view what Misha had been firing at, but saw only a column of raising dust and dirt as the rounds impacted. Misha had missed whatever MS it was. Not that it mattered. Another Grave to the left got it.A brilliant flash and a shower of sparks marked the Guild MS that had been Misha's target.

Phollia scanned and surveyed the hill, revealing seven burning vehicles of which two were definitely tanks, and three MS. The five other vehicles were partially hidden, but still emitting billowing clouds of flames and black smoke. Freshly dug dirt was visible across the main monitor. There were Guild infantrymen, MSs, Tanks, Thrankas and Vosgoves dug in on the hull. Phollia had no intention of fighting it out with the Guild on the hill. She did not want to dismount her MTR platoons in the open." **ALPHA COMPANY ELEMENTS-THIS IS Phollia-THERE ARE DUG IN ENEMY UNITS DEAD AHEAD--WE WILL CONTINUE TO ATTACK--DO NOT DISMOUNT OR STOP ON THE**--"

Her transmission was cut short by two huge explosions on either side of her Grave. The MS shudder violently around her and lost its footing in mid-step. Phollia gripped the twin sticks even tighter and brought the MS back to a stabilizing stance and looked ahead. The scene in front of her was chaotic. The explosions that had nearly knocked her Grave on its ass were from Guild artillery fire. Her Grave moved outside the impact area quickly. To the right there were still three MS moving. One of 2nd Platoon MTRs was several hundred meters to the rear;just sitting there. One of its track had been damage from a stray round.

" **MOBILE SUITS INCOMING---ELEVEN O'CLOCK**!

Misha's call pulled Phollia's attention to the front. They were still within two hundred meters of the hill. Several Guild MS and infantry had popped up to engage them head-on with 76mm heavy machineguns, 380mm bazookas and RPGs. The total stupidity of those infantrymen was beyond comprehension. They were now being cut down by secondary explosions, high-velocity tracers from both low and high calibre ammunitions and flying shrapnels without having a chance of ever hurting a MS. An RPG wasn't going to stop a MS head-on, regardless of how brave the gunner was.A Grave or MTR would fire an occasional HEAT round, adding to the effect of friendly artillery on the hill. In another minute or less, two Graves of 2nd Platoon would be on there objective, securing it. Three Lupus Ds that had suddenly popped up, became the main focus of a massive barrage of 100mm AP, HE and APFSDS rounds, as well as 310mm HEAP and HEAT bazooka rockets.

The destruction of half their APCs, IFVs and tanks, the steady accurate artillery fire, and the failure of their MS gunners to stop the rush of Alpha Company were to much for the survivors. Just as the Company was about to reach the hill, individual Guild units began to flee to the left front of Phollia's Grave, a hidden Vosgove began to back up, seeking to escape. But its movement gave it away, and it was destroyed by a 2nd Platoon Grave. Misha was on his second 100mm machinegun, firing at individual Guild infantrymen and Thrankas as they fled as fast as they could out of harms way.

Just as Phollia reached the hill, she felt a spark of electricity at the back of her skull, just as a lone Lupus D rosed out of a ditch not forty meters to the right of her Grave and aimed its 76mm heavy machinegun straight at her. She cursed. She tried to twisted the Grave torso to the right to engage the Lupus D, but she knew mentally she wouldn't make it in time. The Guild calmly and smugly took aim and knew he had Phollia and there wasn't a damn thing she could do to stop him.

But her luck held out. The Lupus D suddenly dance as a stream of 100mm machinegun rounds hit it in the torso.A 1st Platoon Grave had come up, seen the Lupus D, and fired. The relief Phollia felt was incredible, but fulled with malice. To have been killed on this third-rate planet would have been worst than anything she could have imagine, but she had been saved, by the slimmest of margins by one of those third-rate planet dwellers.

And that alone was a faith worst than death. For a human of superior intellect and reflexs to be saved by a human of a lesser virtue was unacceptable, the Guild had to pay for their injustice. All of them. For her, the Lupus B she had added to her kill record moments ago, was now just a sample,she wanted the full supply, the remaining Guild would die. Playtime was over. It was time to end this quick. Phollia shrieked inside her helmet and flung herself into the fight at full force as a familiar sensation wrapped itself around her mind and opening her eyes to her surrounding area with clearity. She sense more than saw additional targets further ahead from the main group, they would do quite nicely to appease her thirst for revenge and wash the taste of near death away from her mind. Phollia growled as she flung her Grave towards the cluster of mixed emotions in the distance.

_NOW_

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From inside his Lupus X cockpit, Captain Revfrem watched the unknown types of MS crashed his first and second line of defense. He was overwhelmed by alternating rushes of excitment, fear, anger, and helplessness. All his planning, preparations and efforts had been for nothing. The rebel forces had ripped through his well prepared positions as if they hadn't been there.

Catching his breath, the captain began to survey the scene across his main camera picture with a scowl on his lips. The remaining men on the hill, were coming out from the bottoms of their foxholes, most of them on foot;having abandone their APCs and IFVs for a harder trek away from the explosions, but ultimately a safer way of travel as the mobile suits were destroying every single military vehicle in sight. Looking back over the field to his front, he saw personnel carriers and MSs closing on his positions, while making short work of his infantry platoons trying to escape.

" Well," he thought out aloud," if we can't stop them, we'll have to kill as many as we can." With that said, he dropped his Lupus Xs 380mm Bazooka that had felled one of the unknown MS earlier and unlatched his 76mm heavy machinegun from its hardpoint, and rosed out of his foxhole. Revfrem was immediately followed by his reserved force of four Lupus Bs and three Lupus Ds, all began thundering forward over to hill, with the sole purpose of reclaiming that valuable position, now that the enemy had undoubtly used up a majority of their ammo.

Revfrem debated only for a split second of his usage of a majority of his infantry forces, MBTs and partially damage MS units as a way to reduce the enemy forces and ammo supply, while leaving two team of MS in the rear to clean-up as it were, even as his Lupus X level its 76mm heavy machinegun on sighting a MTR of the former Lucan Army popping up on his main camera picture and he stitched a three round burst at it, and watching as it exploded like a balloon of hot air as if a needle had punctured it.

The 76mm heavy machinegun in the Lupus X right hand fired again, and then again, adding to the lines of high-velocity tracers of his remaining 7th and 9th MS teams own 76mm heavy machinegun tracers. A second MTR dropped on one side as its left tracks was blown off completely and the remaining rounds of that three-round burst whizzed pass to impact the ground kicking up a cloud of dust and debris. To Revfrem it looked like the juiciest target in sight and was already compensating his gun sights towards it, a barrage of high-velocity HE rounds from his 76mm heavy machinegun disintegrated it into a fireball and a rain of flying shrapnels that was as beautiful as fireworks at night.

Eighty-meters to his left and fifteen meters ahead of his Lupus X, Revfrem saw at the corner of his eyes an explosion, as a Lupus B that had been moving ahead and covering his left flank, combusted from within and exploded into fireball, destroying the MS. The six remaining MSs, including Revfrems Lupus X stopped firing long enough to track down the aggressor.

Revfrem threat receivers beeped and he turned away from the ruin Lupus B, to stared at his front. From the cloud of dust and flames generating from the burning MTR, one unknown MS raced out, kicking dust over the fire as it plowed forward using its backpack thrusters for increase ground speed. The smoke from the MTR trailing it from behind like a shove forward, its right-hand equiped machinegun sparked twice in unison. The two round thudded against a Lupus Ds torso, dropping the MS to the ground with a round to the cockpit, its pilot never realizing what was happening and never would.

" Sergeant Kiltove," someone shouted in the open channel, as they apparently knew whose Lupus D had been hit. One of the Lupus Bs opened fired on the rebel MS that had killed one of their own. The six remaining MS added their firepower to the fray, the high-velocity 76mm tracers whizzing across the landscape in order to connect with that Gyriq lookalike. The unknown type of mobile suit side-stepped the barrage with ease that left Revfrem mouth dry, skidded backwards and began running sideways even as a single unit, the seven suits adjust fire to compensate for the mobile suits ackward movements. The outgoing tracers tracking it from behind like a snake creeping up on its prey and kicking up clouds of dust and debris behind it, Revfrem notice its right hand holding the machinegun snapped sideways in an angle and its mono-eye flared to life as it fired a return shot from its machinegun, the single round smacking another Lupus B in the torso, killing this pilot instantly. The unknown type of MS turn in an inward arc towards a Lupus D, its ankle thrusters turning the suit with unbelievable agility, with the 76mm tracers in hot pursuit. Two Lupus Bs stopped firing suddenly and began to reload with fresh clips, while the remaining four continued spraying a barrage of tracers that hit nothing but dirt and grass in the distance.

Revfrem never saw when the mobile suit fired its 100mm machingun again, it was only when a burst of tracers thudded into the torso of a Lupus D to his left front, dropping this suit with yet another round into the cockpit, did he realized it had fired yet again. Revfrem came to slow conclusion that they were not dealing with a regular pilot, and even with the five of them remaining, this single MS could very well finish them off and with its unbelievable accurate shots, it could very well accomplish that, not to forget that there was the other suits coming in from behind them to contend with very soon.

Revfem fired off his last rounds and reloaded his 76mm heavy machinegun with fresh clip quickly, swirl his Lupus D around, mono-eye tracking the green and yellow MS and fired another three-round burst, his HE tracers missing the MS by what appeared to be by inches, as the Gyriq looking suit evaded to the right and then left and fired a burst from its 100mm machingegun, taking out a fourth MS that dropped to the ground in a heap with a round to the cockpit and head, knocking out its main camera, only then did Revfrem began to rationalize the futility of their actions and he began to be afraid; more for himself than for the others.

This was totally unbelieveable, not normal and impossibly unrealistic, even as he blazed away at the mobile suit missing wide right and then left. Revfrem watched in fright as the rebel suit burst up into the air, its backpack thrusters catapulting it higher than his Lupus X could possibly reached and fired a burst downward from mid-air, knocking down a Lupus B down with a shot to the main camera, right shoulder armor and left knee joint, a second burst of tracers raked the Lupus B around its torso as it collapse on the ground , keeping it down permanently. Revfrem decided it was time to retreat, this was a battle they could not win, even as he watched the other MSs were already beginning to fall back, they too had seen the futility of their assault and had decided to retreat without receiving orders to do so.

Normally this would be treason, but for Revfrem it was an order he didn't have to give himself. Unfortunately his own trip to the underworld arrived as the MS turn towards him. He spun around, watching it blazing straight for him, but it began moving right and left in an unpredictable zig-zag pattern, and Revfrem could only screamed as his 76mm HE rounds hit nothing but air particles and Genesis as it reach back and snagged a sword from its waist hardpoint, that turn red a moment of utter bliss, Revfrem saw the mono-eye of the unknown MS glared bright clearly, even as its heat weapon reached ahead of it and slashed his right hand holding the 76mm heavy machinegun across the wrist assembly, the mobile suit turn its back to him and thrust its heated sword behind it. The super heated weapon pierced deeply into the Captains' Lupus X torso, roasting him alive, even as the suit rosed to its feet slowly while withdrawing its blade and spinning around with a side-slash, cutting the Lupus X from its right shoulder armor assembly down to its left waist armor in one final powerful stroke.

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Phollia skidded backwards, away from her kill as the flames combusted upwards and the Lupus X fuel tanks burst into fire as the mobile suit exploded. She stared at the smoking remains only a split second with neither remorse or interest and turn towards the fleeing Lupus Bs and Lupus D in her sight. They were already power-jumping away, each second and each power-jump sending them further and further away from her grasp. Let them escape, she thought. She had more important things to do." **ALL ALPHA COMPANY ELEMENTS THAT ARE WITH ME--STOP AND SECURE OUR OBJECTIVE--I SAY AGAIN--STOP AND SECURE OUR OBJECTIVE-ALL PLATOON COMMANDERS ARE TO SECURE THE AREA FOR POSSIBLE** **HOSTILES, EXCEPT LIEUTENANT MITSUBA, COME TO ME.** She turned back to her front, staring at her main camera as the thruster flares of the Lupus B and D vanish out of sight, they will have one hell of a report to tell their commanders, hopefully it will have a negative affect on the Guild forces attacking Unterrem city and force them to comment additional forces to the rear. Giving Malik and the others a weak-link in their lines to exploit.

Phollia turned her attention towards Vesgin town as four Graves were deployed along the base of the hill, facing four directions, with two overlooking the town. As the Graves began kneeling or taking defense positions, Phollia saw Lieutenant Mitsuba guided her Grave forward to within touching distance and initiate a direct ink between the two suits. Even without looking at the other females face on the monitor, Phollia could sense Mitsuba's agitation.

Mitsuba pass a right hand through her hair, before saluting with the left and then asked if everything was alright. Phollia first order of business would normally be an update on losses, operating vehicles and mobile suits and weapon expenditures, as well as current status of supplies, she had a deadline and a rendevous with a space capsule. It was time Mitsuba learn what it was to be a field commander; the hard way.

" A high priority assignment has come in.I'm leaving you in command of Alpha Company for a few days, your first assignment is to link up with Delta Company as soon as Charlie Company arrives to take-over this position as well as supplement our losses and resupply our suits. They should be here at twenty-two hundred hours, which means you only have to secure this position for five hours, is that understood."

" Yes, ma'am. May I ask what kind of assignment," Mitsuba was curious and slightly fearful of taking command of so many troops at once.

" I won't know until I arrived at the rendezvous point. Make sure the men have something to eat and rested while they can, I'll see you in a few days." The Grave took two steps backward at her command, disconnected the communication link and spun around without another word, and walk away.

Good byes were extremely hard and Phollia doubt she would see any of Alpha Company again, but if she did, she had no interest in seeing them battered and bruised as they were, it was best to leave now with the memory of them charging the hill for victory intact and not with them hanged over screaming in agony from shrapnel and burning wounds.

Not to mention such a sight would ruin her mood of finally returning to space. It had been far to long aready.

**Aboard The Nemesis**

On the left side of Athans Grave's left feet, Master Chief Irwin Delewares partially hid for cover. His binoculars were trained on the incoming Gizen (r).And he could already see for himself the left thruster binder were inactive, which meant thrust and maneuvering was reduce considerably. His mind was churning. He knew Kailyn was in trouble.A non-functioning thruster on a backpack was always a atmospheric MS pilots worst nightmare. But out here, twenty thousand feet in the air and with a sun beginning to set, it was a hundred times worse.

The Gizen (r) wasn't coming along the near flat path followed by civil jetliners, which glide, then " flare out" a few feet above a mile-long runways. In this small hanger space of the Nemesis, there wouldn't be time and definitely not much space. Kailyn would have to rush the near fifty-ton Gizen (r) head-long inside the hangerway at over 500 kilometers and all the while praying it didn't crashed the farwall.

Everyone in the hangerbay knew Kailyn was coming in hot and would be impossible to ditch the MS at so high an altitude, he would have to land, a choice which could cost the crew aboard their life if the slightest mistake was made." Goddamn," said Specialist Gigher, miserably. If Kailyn landed safely it would be his job to get the Gizen (r) up and running at peak efficency as soon as possible, if Kailyn didn't land safely, they could all go up like a meteorite on re-entry.

By now all or most of the hangerbay crew had taken cover or edging towards anything worth diving behind for safety, if Kailyn lost control and the Gizen (r) plummeted into the hangerbay. The three-man fire-crews were on alert."" Come-on Pilot, drop speed to match the Gizen (r).Keep dropping speed as required," Tabaro was saying as the reports came in from Kailyn directly.

Everyone could now hear the roar of the engines of the incoming Gizen (r) ( or maybe it was the Nemesis). They were completely new to this sort of thing, no-one knew if there was even a procedure for incoming damage MS into an airborne hangerbay. Nothing they could think up works, save for the touch of blind luck if the pilot can jolt down and then forward, and the legs slam down and skidded to a stop at a respectable distance, put out the warning lights. But time was short. If that Gizen (r) run ot of propellent it would drop like a fifty-ton slab of concrete and hit the long waves of the ocean like a meteorite.

Now the TMS-19B was thundering in towards the hangerbay entrance as fast as a Metro-train through Deikumia, and ten times as fast, but still with weight."

" Here goes nothing," Kailyn muttered under his breath, and he slammed the throttle forward and helded on the twin-sticks. The Gizen (r) accelerated, burning up its last few hundred pounds of propellant in an instant. This was it, there was no turning back now. The Gizen (r) seemed to flatten out and then she was diving in towards the opening of the Nemesis hangerbay, with two ASM missiles inside the torso launchers and a near empty tank of propellant. But still enough to blow the entire hangerway to bits with the simplest mistake. Still slow and easy, Kailyn bit his lower lip, even as he watched through his amber eyes as the dark opening of the hangerbay roared up to meet him. He fought to keep aloft but the Gizen (r) now had a mind of its own.A bloody krilling mind.

Tabaro Wilisk, watching the Gizen (r) on his chair monitor now hurtling towards the opening of the hangerbay, snapped into the communication to the hangerbay crews." Get the firefighting equipment ready."

For a plit second Delewares thought Kailyn might run directly into the Kaiser or worst, the other side of the hangerbay. And he ducked while screaming," Reverse thrust, Lieutenant, for heaven's sake reverse thrust!!"

The Gizen (r) rippped pass the Grave's feet; missing it by three inches, the heat wave from the thrusters whipping across Delewares arm and face just as Kaiyn hands twisted the twin-sticks. The Gizen (r) hands reached forward and he pulled back on the twin-sticks, the Gizen (r) legs connected with the deck and created a furrow of sparks as metal connected with metal, the violence of the landing nearly knocking him momentarily unconscious. Specialist Gigher looked up first, saw the Gizen (r) skidding to a stop but failing miserably and impacting the far wall with a loud THUD, that shook the aircraft and sending up a spout of sparks and lose materials into the air, almost to the ceiling.

But it had stop, before the damage could have been deadly for all of them. When Delewares came out of his chosen hiding spot, he saw the Gizen (r) turned around with difficulty in the tight space, its docking station a twisted and mangle mess of metal beyond recovery, he saw it dropped on its left knee and the canopy style hatched swinging open before him, its exhaust ports releasing clouds of steam. And even as he stepped out of his hiding spot wringing with prespiration, the hangerbay was closing shut, in a whirlwind of air. Internal lights came on, illuminating the area. Hangerbay crews were emerging from cover, Delewares could hear the baritone voice of Kailyn yelling through the intercom."Give me a full stress-check of all systems, high priority is to be given to the repairs to the left thruster binder. Check the internal intake ports for possible loose metal fragments or wiring."

Delewares stared at the welcoming party for the Black Knight still barking orders and acting as if defying death was as common as breathing air. All the while, the whole hangerbay crew, now nine strong, all a bit shaken from their near brush with death, head to their duty stations, bound together by the camaraderie of men who have looked into the face of death together and survive.

Delewares reached the opened cockpit hatch first and stared inside,Kailyn's helmet was already off and he was breathing heavily and sweating from the temperature inside the cockpit, but he was unharmed." You are one crazy prick, could have died and took us all along for the ride. You should have aborted fifteen seconds earlier."

Kailyn looked up from typing away from the keyboard." I had the timing right. It was the lack of fuel that worried me the most. Beside if I'd punch out and abandone the Gizen (r), I'd be swimming in the ocean right now, with no chance of a pick-up."

" Shit!" said Delewares, turning to look down at the despersing crowd below." Never thought about that part. Specialist Gigher, Specialist Sing and Specialist Ganan, what are you three gawking at. This mobile suit's not going to repair itself."

The preliminary reports on the status of the Gizen (r) would take time, Delewares figured an hour maybe two and then repairs could began in between or after, which, judging from what he was seeing first hand of the Gizen (r), the damage didn't look to bad from the outside, but the inside could be a different story and that was assuming they could find the necessary parts to began the repairs on the left thruster binder in the first place. There were plenty of left-over Lupos Stratus parts brought from Fort Nirka, but most weren't compatibe with this new Guild machine. To top it off, the Guild HAT was still at the edge of their radar screen and it could launch another attack any second now. Then what will they do.

" Whats up with the HAT," Kailyn was asking Tabaro, in between typing away on the keyboard at a speed Delewares found frightening un-natural.

" Maintaining its current speed of four-hundred and eighty-five kilometers We're still picking up one heat source closing in on it. Its that Lupos CT, could be landing any minute now."

Kailyn stopped typing for a second and tilted his head to the monitor." Both are damage, but that Gizen is worst off and its being carried by the Lupos CT. They'll have to suspend any takeoff operation in progress to receive them both. That gives us one, maybe two hours before they resume takeoff operations. Unless they plan on launching Lupos Stratuses and Gizens, assuming they have anymore, in the dead of night which is dangerous in itself. We should be good until dawn."

" We'll be at Voskav in fifteen hours at our current rate of speed," Tabaro announced." Thats tomorrow at noon at best."

Kailyn nodded." Understood, keep your eyes on the radar screen. Master Chief, as I reported coming in, the left binder might have taken a missile hit and we have until dawn to get it repaired and that will likely mean pulling an all nighter."

Delewares nodded in agreement." I'll have my people working shifts on it right away. You should get some rest yourself."

" I'm fine, there's a few things I need to check-out out and modify myself. Times not on our side at the moment and come dawn, we better be ready. Assuming the Guild wait that long. Their like roaches, the more you take out, the more they pop up."

Delewares begin trekking down the right leg to the hangerbay deck, he had to mentally agree. The Guild never seem to give up. The question was why were they putting so much effort into them.

**Aboard the Biafritz**

Colonel Sertiva Ge Orsini strode down towards the hangerbay with Lieutenant Gily on his tail and arrived just in time to see the Lupus CT grasping the Gizen in its hands came tumbling into the open hangerbay, its legs connecting with the metal deck, creating a furrow of sparks as its body collided into the hastily assemble safety nets and slammed on the floor with a BANG. Like well traine crew, the men began spraying firefighting foam on the two suits as if they would exploded any second now. Three medics were there, plus a stretcher. Lieutenant Gily was swearing and saying over and over." Six and only two came back, only two."

Even from here Orsini could see that the Gizen was in terrible shape, the only question was, was the Lieutenant still alive inside the cockpit. All attempt at comunication had failed. The cockpit of the Gizen was force open and forty seconds later Lieutenant Lovichen was winch free from her restraints, trembling from shock or the lost of blood, but wide awake now and mumbling to herself. Orsini could see she had a broken right arm and blood all over her flight suit.

The medics then took over, giving her a shot of painkiller, strapping Lovichen into the wheeled stretcher and headed towards the medical for immediate treatment. Even now as he watched, the Gizen and Lupos CT were being moved off the catapult deck into their docking stations.A task made difficult with the slippery foam on the hanger deck floor. It would take sometime to clear that up.

" How long until we resume operation," Orsini asked to no one in particular as a muttering Captain Raden walked over to him.

" It'll take time to move those two suits and check the linear catapult for possible damages, about three to four hours." Gily replied, having on arrival quickly checked the status of their launch capabilities.

" I'll make him pay if she dies," Raden was saying, his eyes were blood red with anger, his nostrils flaring in and out, while his hands continued shaking.

" Yes, we will," Orsini said in between clench teeth, his expression change into a frown as hereach out to grasp the Captain's still shaking hands." But this time, I intend to lead the next operation myself. This has gone on to damn long. Its time I end this personally, Lieutenant Gily prepare my MS for atmospheric operation immediately. Captain Raden download and evaluate your MS gun cameras with Lieutenant Dale as soon as you've freshen up. I want to know the Gizen (r) status, capabilities. More important its strength and weakness, it would seem it has been modified and tune-up a bit. I expect a new strategy and operational plan in my hands as soon as possible. We'll attack at first sign of light in the morning."

With noticeable reluctance Captain Raden nodded and began trekking over to his down suit to began his new mission.

Beside Orsini, Gily had a wide grin on his face, which irrated Orsini and he barked." What is it Lieutenant."

"Nothing sir, the Agnix is already combat ready sir. This is the first time it'll actually be used in comabt. Taking out the Gizen (r) and gaining some real combat data on its performance at the same time will be invaluable engineers back home will be delighted sir."

Orsini nodded." Make sure the external fuel tanks are added and rechecked. Unlike the Gizen (r), the Agnix burns twice the propellant in half the time. But its just as maneuverable and equally well armed."

Gily nodded and looked back at the Lupos CT being hoisted by a ceiling crane off the Gizen." Six suits and only two made it back. This Lieutenant Starken is barely twenty years old and he's already claimed an Ace pilot status. Should we began recovery operation and look for possible survivors."

" No! We don't have time and I highly doubt we'll find any survivors. We'll continue on ahead and keep the El Nino on our scanners until we remove it out of existenve. We've come to far and lost to many unexpendable Elites to simply loose sight of our target now. Check the status on the Lieutenant and inform me immediately." Without another word, Orsini pivot around the way he had come, his mind running wild.'_ An Ace pilot hey. What a joke, next round its all or nothing. Lets see you escape our next assault.'_

Orsini failed to notice Sergeant Carlita shadow in the corner of the room watching his every move. As he exit the hangerbay and headed for the bridge, she turn her attention back to the bullet riddle Gizen on the floor. Memories of her own battle and survival came flooding in, bringing tears to her eyes. How could one pilot do so much damage, she had warned them. Told them to send everything they had after him in one fell swoop, but of course they wouldn't listen, she was just a buck Sergeant after-all.

And now four other pilots lay beneath the waters in a sailors grave. Simply because these Elites had taken a stupid plan, from an ignorant navy Captain and put it into motion, and the end result was before her very eyes. Tired and angry beyond words, Sergeant Avena Carlita turned away from the wall and walked back towards her quarters in search of her medications.

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	21. Chapter 20

**Mobile Suit Gundam: Vanguard Blitz**

Chapter 20

**Opan AFB, Central Lucan**

Not this dry-heat, again, First Lieutenant Serena Vel Conirs thought; that was what blindsided her every time she came to Lucan. Certainly Vehal, nine hours before, had been grim in the last few remaining hours of the day. Trifecta Isles, just before sunset had been hot but not uncomfortable beneath a gentle rain.

But Lucan itself was an embodiment of hell; at least it was three hours before the sun had set and the temperature had manage to drop, some-what. Her black ESF khaki uniform had almost soaked through, the sweat from her body almost draining into her combat boots just coming from the MS transport; arriving to Lucan behind the bulk of the 154th MRB, many of whose personals where still out in the night searching out their units, commanders and temporary assign quarters. She brushed her hair back, slightly annoyed at its dampness, and scratches a spot under her armpit.

"When's this Colonel Tolland suppose to get here?" she asked the ESF officer assign as her team-mate for a mission she had yet to be briefed on. Her question came out more sharply than she'd intended. Blame it on this heat.

A former Noire Knight in training at Ratheon Institute, Vel Conirs had slowly raisin within the ranks of the ESF Division to become a full fledge member of one of the most feared ESF Black Ops units, specifically a Stryker commando, the best of the very best. And not just any Stryker commando units, a member of Stryker Team Cold-Hearts, the best of the very best.

As it was Vel Conirs had been trained never to feel any emotion regarding her assignments? Past or Present. But several hours ago, however, the ESF Supreme Commander had presented her with a digital picture of a young man for her to identified. That picture had certainly raised her heart rate when she had noticed the date stamped.

'_Kailyn Starken, How_?! She had her suspicion that this new assignment had something to do with her previous team-mate from a time long gone, somehow. The fact that he had survive Ratheon Institutes untimely destruction, was in itself a question that needed answering, and she would get that answer, before she personally killed him of course. It was a shame to; he had been kind of cute. But as a surviving_** Noire Knight**_, he was just far to dangerous to be allowed to live.

Second Lieutenant Artman Amberg responded, jolting her attention away from her wondering train of thoughts; she noted with a flash of annoyance that he was staring at her chest again." Uh, he must have been delayed somewhat. But he's well aware that we're here. He has to know our timetable is limited as well."

"Do we have to be brief by him? I'd like to proceed with the operation as soon as possible. _What ever the hell it is this time_."

Amberg was so startled his eyes lost their fixed on her bust. He began giving her the usual reasons why they couldn't start without the Colonel. Vel Conirs tuned him out. She scratched again and strolls over to the window. She looked out, absently flipping the collar of her uniform. In the distance, vibrating like a wine hangover, she could make out mobile suits of different types, armed with various-weapons for different mission roles in positions, ready to be moved into there assign MS transports. Beyond that was a star-filled and black night sky. She stared out at it, wondering whether she absolutely had to spend the night on the second floor of the local Air Force headquarters. She'd brought along her the new experimental mobile suit, just on the off chance...

Then she curbs her mind. She was here on official ESF business. A failed or completion assignment General Bergove had said. Go in, do your usual job and be home within three days time. That didn't sound like she had anymore time to familiarize herself with the ends and outs of her new MS, let alone continue testing its performance. No, she would concentrate solely on her new mission.

Because Elite Syber Force missions usually involved high levels of secrecy, the traditional multitier chain of command is often circumvented in favor of a "monocaput " management-- a single controller who is granted the authority to control the unit as he or she sees fit. The Controller tends to be a military power broker with sufficient rank or influence to run the mission. In this case, an ESF Colonel Urgis Tolland would be there controller.

"There he is," squeaked Amberg, sounding relieved. She dropped her gaze. A dusty military sedan was edging through the concrete barriers at the gate. As she watched, marines surrounded the vehicle, rifles at the ready. One circled it, inspecting the chassis with a flashlight. They'd done that to the car Vel Conirs had arrived in as well. Then they felled back, snapping up their hands in salute as the vehicle rolled into the compound, the blue sphere flags stirring flaccidly in the still air.

A few lengthy minutes later, Colonel Tolland was bursting into his office, and they snapped hasty salute in unison. He smelled of oil, dust and sweat." Good afternoon Lieutenants and welcome. Sorry I'm late, things have suddenly become hectic around here, with the redeployment of our ground and air defense forces around Opan, losing Unterrem to those rebel forces and to top it off, we weren't told about the arrival of this MRB until they were half-way here, why their here, where their going and I'm told even less about your current mission assignment. The files themselves only just arrived. I see they sent only two of you."

"Colonel Tolland."

"Yes?"

"We're Stryker's," Vel Conirs said coldly." While an average team is made up of three to four members. The both of us are more than capable of handling any mission required of us. Our time here is limited and there's a great deal we'd like to know and prepare for. Could we start the brief, sir?"

Tolland looked blank for just a moment, turned to face Amberg and back towards Vel Conirs, his right hand scratch his well shaven chin, while his left placed a leather brief-case he'd brought with him on his untidy wooden desk, snapped the latch open and reach inside with his right hand, withdrawing a pair of three page thick official-looking files with the ESF insignia over the envelope above the words ' Eyes Only'. "These are for your eyes only. This mission is top secret." He looked at Vel Conirs, and then at Amberg; the Colonel wink.

Vel Conirs and Amberg each reached out for a file and studied the documents in silence for a few minutes. They glanced at each other, then at the Colonel who had just handed them their mission orders and had simply slumped into his seat. His part of this operation it seems complete. Theirs it seem was only just beginning

"Shit! This is unbelievable, sir,' Amberg finally said, after a minute of intense silence." This says we will be joining up with two other Stryker teams. The Red- Shoulder Blades and the Devil's Guardian Knights. Aren't those guys trained in heavy assault and anti-fortification operations?"

Vel Conirs glanced sideways at Amberg. His eyes were like little glinting steel balls, even as her mind brought up the current stats of both Stryker teams, along with a mental picture of their mission, which looked unlike anything she had been ordered to do before. But she was more than willing to complete this assignment. It had merits at its conclusion and as well as a possible promotion. It won't be too complicated." We've done seek and seizure missions before."

"Not like this, three Stryker Teams on a single Ops. It's never been done before. Not to my knowledge, plus we'll be looking for something, neither of us knows whether it exists or not. Its exact position, relative to our LZ and with heavy enemy resistances."

Vel Conirs shrugged, turning to face the Colonel." Where's our basing, logistics structure."

Tolland pointed at the documents." It's all there. Everything you need to know, down to the last detail."

There was a rap at the door before Vel Conirs could glance at the papers again and an ESF Sergeant holding a clipboard let himself in. He paused upon seeing the crowded office. But Tolland waved him in and was given the clipboard. As he read, his face darkens.

She was about to ask what had happen when a telephone buzzed. The Colonel frown as he reached across his desk for it, listened, then said, "Thank you, they'll be back there in fifteen minutes----Lieutenants, Tower Control reports your transportation has arrived. Let's see, I think everything is in order. I'll send a man to pick up your bags immediately. Now if you'll excuse me, it seems I'm badly needed elsewhere."

" Thank you, sir, "She smiled at Amberg." Now we can get going, can't we."

"Yes, ma'am." Amberg replied flipping to the last page."It says we'll be base on one of those new Geiger-class assault carriers we've been hearing about. Guess one finally made it off the shipyards production line. Operations commander is a Colonel Nevano Tional, Army liaison officer to the ESF. Says in this file here, he'll be our new Controller."

She didn't ask for elaboration as she cross the room, they both had the same files. But still it was unheard of for an Army officer, regardless of rank being a Controller. She'll know soon enough what was going on. The Sergeant held the door open for them. She said" Thank you" coldly as she brushed by him, with Amberg following hot on her heels mumbling to himself as he scan the pages.

When she was out of earshot and door closed shut behind him, the ESF Staff Sergeant turned to Colonel Tolland with astonishment." Their Stryker's, but they can't be more than twenty years old. What kind of strings was pulled to get them those badges?"

"Watch your tongue, Sergeant," said Tolland mildly." Strykers are chosen through skills, intellect and half a dozen other requirements you and I surely lack. To be a Stryker at that age alone is testament to their skills.

The Sergeant looked over his shoulder and said quietly." You think maybe their going to help retake Unterrem city from those rebels, sir."

" Not this day! You heard them talking! What ever their mission is, it's evidently more important than that shit-hole. Leave Unterrem city to the damn Army, its there fault for dropping their guard. But just in case things go bad out there, I want an assault plan for the 215th Guards Regiment on my desk by noon today. Is that clear, Sergeant!"

The staff Sergeant nodded in the middle of saluting." I'll get on it right away, sir."

Thirty minutes later, the two Stryker pilots were airborne aboard a MST helicopter on a north-eastern heading, carrying their personal mobile suits.

**Aboard the Nemesis**

Tabaro Wilisk had Pilot flying the Nemesis on a north-western heading for the better part of three hours now. Other than a fleeting infrared picture of a group of inhabitable islands to the north and east of them, he had seen nothing on his monitor but greenish water less than ten thousand feet beneath the Nemesis hull in that time.

Every so often Pilot would check his instruments and match it to a flight chart, the only way he could confirmed his bearings.' _Another hour on this course and we'll be entering Kazan's_ _airspace!_ The revelation intensified his uneasiness. To make things worst, we still have that HAT trailing behind us! Soon they would have to change course or risk a direct confrontation with Kazan's patrolling fighters.

Outside the Nemesis, there was perpetual darkness. Tabaro realized he would have to give the orders to change course shortly, but the closer they get to Kazan air space, the more likely-hood the Guild HAT would change course to prevent a diplomatic situation from developing with Kazan.

As the minutes passed, the stars twinkled above and the quarter moon appeared glowed white above against the black back-drop of the sky.

Finally, Tabaro spotted a new signal less than two-hundred miles ahead on his armchair monitor. The radar operator had hooked the signal immediately and read its stats, even as he passes the new contact to Tabaro's screen. Weird---the computer came up empty. For a moment he thought about going through the assortment of Guild records to identify it. Then, too quickly, it disappeared and he was left with a tingling sensation in the pit of his stomach. The new contact had lasted only nine seconds. It was much to early to be picking up any of Kazan's aircraft, but then again, it could be a lone bird on patrol and where there was one patrol aircraft, their were bound to be others not to far away." Pilot alter course to zero-one-zero and climb to twelve thousand feet altitude immediately." It was best not to tangle with any of Kazan's patrolling fighters if at all possible.

As Pilot adjusts the aircraft on its new heading, the Miska-class began buckling and shuddering in the heavy turbulence. Tabaro heard a metallic pop and nearly jumped out of his seat in fright as the aircraft shivered and vibrated, but there was no sign of any immediate mortal danger. As pilot struggled to keep the aircraft under control, Tabaro peered outside the cockpit as the nosed climbed slowly. He felt a sensational drag in his gut as the craft rose to twelve thousand feet and decelerated into a leveled flight northward.

" Ok, sir. Level at twelve thousand feet and maintaining course and new heading," Pilot responded.

Tabaro was more interested in the HAT trailing one hundred kilometers behind them, loaded with who knows how many atmospheric capable MS, both armed and ready to launch at any given moment now." Where are they?"

The radar operator spoke softly." Ninety-eight kilometers and adjusting course to match our new heading. What are they waiting for, why don't they just attack us and get it over with."

Tabaro breathed in some fresh ventilated air and tried to focus on anything other than the HAT trailing ninety-eight kilometers behind the Nemesis. Nothing stayed in his head longer than a few seconds. He unbuckles his safety-harness after fifteen minutes of boredom." I'm going to check on the status of the Gizen (r), if those ESF so much as pop a flare, go to red-alert."

He made his way directly to the hanger-bay, which was brightly light as usual, oven-hot, noisy and stunk of sweat, MS propellant, gunpowder and smoke. Tabaro made his was to the Gizen (r) right feet, then raised his voice above the clanking of one of two crane like manipulator arms carrying the Gizen (r)'s shield towards the left forearm, where two crew whispered into head-phones to the robotics operator manipulating one of the arms." , Kailyn, you in there. We need to have a talk!"

The sweat-slicked faced of Specialist Gigher appeared over the open cockpit hatch thirty feet high." He's not here Lieutenant Wilisk, the Lieutenant and the Chief left about twenty minutes ago."

"Is that so? How long before she's ready to fly?"

"She's ready anytime, sir. Took us four hours to complete the repairs to the left thruster binder, another two hours to do a full systems and stress check. As of now we're reloading and replacing expended ammunition and propellant. Should be done in the next twenty minutes or so."

Tabaro was only half listening. He circled the MS, his eyes flicking from right arm to left, leg to cockpit hatch, air-intake ports to X-shape faceplate and then mono-eye main camera within.

"You check the FCS."

"Not me sir, Lieutenant Starken did that himself. Adjusted the OS himself, damn near tweaked command to respond time by 0.04 seconds. I couldn't tell you how either, considering this hanger bay doesn't have the facilities or the equipments to do that sort of thing. All in all she'll be armed and ready by 0400 hours, or before the Lieutenant sorties."

The crane like armed released the shield and it was immediately locked into the forearm hard-point." Sortied?" Tabaro asked, evidently confuse.

"The Lieutenant's going out at 0430 hours, sir. Didn't you know?"

"Who told you that?"

"Orders came directly from Chief headed off with the Lieutenant for some kind of meeting. Something about the Lieutenant's going out as soon as we're good and ready."

Tabaro rested his palm on the left ankle joint, feeling the coldness of the composite armor." Why didn't he call me about this meeting, shit?" He spin around mentally wanting to kick the Gizen (r) left feet in frustration, but ultimately fearing the pain it would bring. There was only one place Kailyn would be right now if he was planning on a sortie in less than three hours.

Only a few people went into the TCO and it was only to make operation plans. Tabaro arrived at the door, hesitated a moment reconsidering his option and knocked once after considering what could happen if he didn't know what was going on." Come in," came a familiar voice from within.

Tabaro stepped in and swore inwardly as he looked around at the four people standing over the table with a downward holographic view of the northern islands off Kazan territorial border. Vicati was at the far end of the table, with Athan glaring in his direction beside her, Deleware was leaning over the table, white shirt covering his mouth, he turned once to stare at Tabaro for a second, nodded his head in acknowledgement and returns his attention to the holographic map display.

"You're late. We started without you." Kailyn voice dropped even lower than its usual low as if his thought was elsewhere at the moment.

"Yea well, it happens when you're not informed about a meeting in the TCO room and you have to hear about such things by word of mouth."

"If you'd stayed on the bridge, you'd have been here fifteen minutes ago." Kailyn closed his eyes in the far corner of the room, then said abruptly," Your here now, we'll continue, Chief."

Deleware's voice was muffled under his shirt, low, but audible." I agree, their in the same shit we're in. Its dark, night operation is extremely dangerous, our advantage is we only have one MS to prepare, launched and if possible, recover. Only problem is we launch, they'll see you coming long before you get anywhere near that transport-carrier."

Athan added."Not to mention we have no idea how many flight-type MS they have at their disposal and how many ground-types. If only one comes our way. We'll be sitting ducks and easy as a pie."

Kailyn stepped forward, drawing attention to him as he mused over the holographic map display." A plan to attack with the sole intention to destroy that HAT, with our current battle strength and capabilities would ultimately fail. In simple terms it's a suicide mission."

Athan snickered." Thought you Black Knights were trained to go up against the odds and still come out on top."

"We're taught to go in, eliminate our targets and return to base. What's the point of destroying the target, if your base gets destroyed in the process," Kailyn voice trailed off as he glanced at the map display." One critical mistake here and a lot of lives will be lost, not unlike your own."

Athan face went white as the realization hit him. Kailyn continued." Destroying that HAT would be nice, but that's not why we're here. The moment that dawn arrives, that ESF commander onboard that HAT will launch every single operating atmospheric MS at his disposal at us, with a single mission, take us down. Our best course of action is to disrupt them in their planning and preparing stage. Hit them before they put their plans into action, force the commander into a situation where he has no other choice but to give a re-call order of their forces and to re-evaluate their plans. Which buys us time and time is what we need more than anything!"

Vicati spoke." Like knocking out an aircrafts base before they launched and not after."

"Precisely, it won't do anything for us if those Lupos Stratus takes to the air before we have a chance to counter-attack." added Kailyn." Right now, their entire MS units are probably at maintence period, preparing their machines for combat. Our best chance of survival is to stop that in its track."

"So the plan is to attack that HAT, with a single MS. You'll never get near that HAT, they'll launch everything they have after you and then they'll come after us. What's your plan for that option," Tabaro asked with great exasperation.

"We wait for them to make the first move once their set-up, prepared, armed and ready. Then we lose, but if we can force them to react to our actions and not us to theirs, then the advantage is ours. We moved first, they have to react, change their tactics and invent new ones, before they can move again." said Kailyn, his voice sounded committed to the plan." Those take time and time is what we need."

"Easier said than done, that still leaves the Nemesis wide open for an attack. Who's going to protect us once the Gizen (r) goes out and fight?" Tabaro ask, looking around the table.

Kailyn nodded to Athan and the Vicati before replying." They are, the Gizen (r) will only be the primary aerial platform, if things go from bad to worst. They become the ground platform in a matter of minutes, increasing the Nemesis chances of survival and doubling our battle strength."

Tabaro open and closed his mouth in confusion, Athan chuckled loudly, Vicati asked coolly." Mind telling us how that's going to happen, we're piloting ground type MS and if you haven't noticed, we're ten thousand feet in the air and flying over water."

Kailyn traced a finger over the map display, following a eastern sea-route, before continuing northward as he spoke his plan of action, which lasted a mere two minutes, as he finished, his finger stopped on a spot on that map." This will be our defensive route until we reached our destination. We either stop them from following us or push that HAT back and away from us before we arrived at this point. If not, we failed. Any questions before we began."

No one spoke for a full minute as each man or woman in his/her own mind, both worried about the upcoming engagement and admiration at a well laid out plan that went well with their previous plan route, stared at a single spot on the map." Tabaro, you mind telling Pilot our new heading an altitude. Make sure the minovsky particles is disperse at low levels thirty minutes prior to my launching."

Tabaro stared at the map display, studying their course in the well lit room. He silently calculated their best speed under current conditions on their new route to noon in a few hours. It would be a very close call. He would have to recheck his calculation with Pilot as soon as possible, Tabaro glanced at his watch. It was 2:51 Gigher had said, the launching of the Gizen (r) was schedule for 4:30.

Tabaro pushed any thoughts lingering at the back of his mind. This operation called for a lot of things, more important than luck, proper timing, which would depend more on Pilot's ability to keep the Nemesis afloat, even with that damage engine.

He sighed, squared his shoulders, glanced at the display one last time and left without saying a word. Some how he doubts anything he said would stop this foolish plan in its track. Kailyn was committed after-all. But it was a plan that needed to be carried out.

**Unterrem City**

Sergeant Rokam Erson was making a quick, but thorough final preflight inspection of his men's personal equipment, checking for proper body-armor, ammo supplies, night-vision goggles; considering where the captured Guild OC-10R2-NOS aircraft was taking them, Erson wanted to make sure its Special Escort Force-Commandos occupants were dressed for maximum protection against small caliber rounds and well equipped to take down a tank platoon, while still maintaining their mobility.

All of the men assemble on the small runway near the OC-10R2-NOS aircraft had been trained and hand-picked by him for this upcoming mission, and were experienced professionals, so this was just a quick safety inspection, not an instructional one, but Erson began a short briefing and a special mission topic during his inspections." Listen up," Erson said, as he inspected a high-yield shoulder-mounted rocket propel grenade launcher; also known as a Anti-armor Penetrator (AAP), it was supposedly powerful enough to bring down a MS if the impact point was correct, Erson had never had the chance to test that theory or witness it for himself, he hoped they wouldn't have to tonight," just to bring you all up to speed: Our target area is the Ren Gia Du prison, which I'm sure many of you have heard a lot about over the years. It's the Guild prison for POWs and former political figures, our people wrongly imprison without trial. Our flight path will take us southwest near the Deikumia border and straight north to combat drop on Ren Gia Du Prison itself."

"This is our first infiltration into this area, made all the possible by the sudden withdrawal of a MRB base in the immediate area, and as you all know this is a rare opportunity to get one up on the Guild. We're checking three different buildings inside Ren Gia Du prison as quickly as possible. If our guys are in anyone of them, I want them evacuated as fast as possible. The air and ground fighting near the prison will be fierce and lasting only an hour once we're given the go ahead to move in. You all know the code words and code signs. Anyone who doesn't return a recognition signal is to be considered a hostile and gets two in the chest and one in the head."

" We got some major help coming on this one tonight----apparently the General feels this operation must succeed at all cost and is moving in at least two company of MS to stir up some heavy ground opposition and a flight of captured Laspers to keep the skies empty," Erson said." Maybe it'll keep the Guild off balance, maybe it won't. Forget about them and concentrate on your work tonight. Our job is to go into Ren Gia Du, kick some Guild ass, rescue our people that have been waiting on us for to damn long to do so, and comeback alive. Let's get loaded."

Erson knew these men's skill level by heart and their determination and had picked the men, who had at least one family or friend imprison in Ren Gia Du prison; mostly as a motivation, so he didn't look each individual in the face as he went down the line just before checking his spare magazines and boarding the aircraft.

Just eight minutes later, Erson and six of his commandos were crammed in the tiny cargo bay of the captured OC-10, now upgraded and improve into a OC-10R2-NOS (Night Observation System) attack and reconnaissance plane; as the LFA had no used for single mission profile aircraft that immediately began speeding down Unterrem city's private airfield, on their way to Ren Gia Du prison.

They didn't have their MS, or a real plan of action as everything had been ahead at short notice, but they did have a warplane. The new upgraded OC-10R2 twin hover-craft attack and observation aircraft had been redesign to carry a full attack payload: improve hydrogen-2 fuel cells in the centerline and wings, 1,500 rounds of 20-millimeter ammunition for the six-barrel steerable Gatling gun, two pods of four ASM-10B Alt laser-guided missiles on the fuselage sponsons, and two ASM-10C Rorqual anti-radar missile mounted on the outboard side of each of the wing pylons. This aircraft also has chaff and flare ejectors installed in the tail booms to assist in decoying enemy anti-aircraft radars and heat seeking missiles. It seems as if the heavily laden R2-NOS would never lift off the runaway and into the warm, humid night air.

Shortly after leveling off at cruise altitude, Erson was on the plane's radio on the prearrange UHF frequency: " Night-Hawk, Night-Hawk, this is Sally-One we are on the move, repeat Night-Hawk, this is Sally-One, we are good to go." Erson then flipped over to a special UHF frequency that only a handful of people would be monitoring at this time and keyed the mike." Overlord, this Sally-One. We're moving out."

"Understood Sally-One," barked the speakers with the familiar baritone voice Erson had grown to respect." Good luck and good hunting Sergeant."

**Planet Metheral, Methyst Star-system**

Imperial Fleet Admiral Weissan Kus Kirfin, Praetorian 1st Fleet Supreme Commander, stared out the bridge of his flagship, NemBrica, trying not to seem as bored as he truly was as the bridge crew went about their routine tasks with efficiency never before seen of a well picked and trained crew. He had been gazing somewhat in the same direction for the better part of two hours now, the only sign of actual movements he portrayed was the shifting of his eyes following a four man team of MS on their patrol runs. The gray eyes over the prominent nose showed little or no warmth. The small pink lips were curled into a frown. Unseen, behind the thorny mental defenses that guarded the dense thickness of his mind, lurked the unfathomable workings of a master tactician.

His gray-eyes shifted upwards from his throne-like seated position on a chair bolted to a high square platform on the bridge just in time too see the Carcharadon Commander Type followed closely by three Carcharadon Ms flying pass, leaving a trail of luminescent blue behind them as they continue their patrol flight pass nearby, passing a dozen escort cruisers on a course towards two giant asteroids being moved into geostationary orbit over the planet Metheral.

The humming of the elevator connected to the platform raising caught his attention, followed by its cryptic click as it locked and immediately by the continuous tapping of a boot with metallic heels moving towards his showed no sign that he had heard it. The tapping stopped and there was nothing for several intense seconds. Until the person cleared his throat loudly to catch his attention." You're Excellency Lord Kirfin."

"Have there been any new developments," Kirfin asked slowly. His deep baritone voice sounded as if it had been issued forth from the depths of hell itself.

The young male was dress in a brown and white stripped khaki uniform, with the military of his shirt tight against his neck and his pants were tucked over low heeled boots of shiny black genuine leather. His dark brown hair was cut neatly short less than two inch long. He bore the gold tabs of an 's chief of staff, Rear-Admiral Scharario Herdule murmured a silent pray his mother had taught him half a century ago to appease a higher classman. Mustering the courage to speak, he began." Forgive the untimely interruption, Your Excellency."

"But as of oh-three-hundred Standard-time, we've successfully manage to take control of the area of space around the Methyst star-system. Eliminated all inhabitants of the planets Metheral and Methyst. Construction of the alloy and fuel production facilities on Methyst."

"Your plans to set-up an operations base on Metheral complete with supply depot for solid fuel and propellant extract is moving ahead smoothly, we estimated that getting the operations center complete will take the greatest amount of time, nearly four-hundred hours. Completion of the mobile command fortress will be sooner, less than three hundred-hours. Should everything goes as plan, the third asteroid should be here within twenty-four hours. Construction of the orbital shipyards will commence soon after."

The oval face looked downward and the gray eyes stared out of the skull. They were the hypnotic eyes of a predator, large and lustrous and chief of staff felt his knees buckle under the intensity of their gaze.

A paused."Basically everything is going according to my plans. Yes."

"Yes, sir." Under the spell of the unrelenting gaze, the terrified Herdule felt his strength started to leave his legs. He snapped to attention, bow with his eyes to the ground to avoid staring into eyes that were hard and cold as steel." We seemed to have lost contact with the 8th Reserve Squadron that you ordered to remain in the Vasper star-system. It maybe due from heavy minovsky waves from our engagement...

"Or they fell to the enemy reinforcements." Kirfin shifted his body and stood to his full height of 6'4".He was dressed in purely white khaki uniform, covered by a great cloak that dropped to his ankle, revealing the Praetorian Empire's Emblem, A one winged angel wielding a sword and shield of a star-system on the left side, opposite and below a star shaped shield and hammerhead shark insignia of the 1st fleet of the Praetorian Empire. The military collar of his shirt was loose against his neck, with a chain of pure gold and platinum connected to a large gemstone.

He worked the stiffness from his muscles joint by joint and took slow gulps of air into his lungs. When all his bones seemed to pop into place, he moved to the edge of the platform, stopping inches away from the guard-rails as he gazed down from a new angle at the bridge crew.

The NemBrica was the first Nova-class Juggernaut to leave the orbital shipyards of Soiree, designed with a wide forward deck loaded with numerous 3x2 barrel 300cm VSMPPBC secondary cannons, set in twin rows around the outer hull. It was also armed with multiple 2x 100cm VSMPPBC on each side and a multitude of missile launchers. Its main guns were a pair of 2000cm VSMPPBC dual cannons. Its internal hanger bay was not only capable of carrying and servicing 500 MS, but with its 20 catapult, it could easily deploy its entire compliment of MS into battle in less than thirty minutes. The NemBrica was virtually a mobile battle fortress, who single-handedly can decide the outcome of a battle in mere moments.

"If they did fall to the enemy, then the enemy can't be too far behind. Dispatch several recon ships to the systems between us and Vasper star-system. The last thing I need is a Khimeran fleet scanning this region and getting an idea of what we're planning to do here."

"It shouldn't be too hard to track them sir, there's only a few accessible jump points between there and here. What should we do once we've localized their exact positions?" Herdule asked.

"Destroy them, what else can we do." Kirfin said coldly, before turning to face Herdule." What about the status of my fuel and materials."

Herdule bowed slowly, head tilted to his left shoulder."Admiral Xinom is commanding the 3rd Supply Corp to retrieve those supplies as we speak. Shall everything proceed on schedule; we should be able to replenish nearly twenty percent of our fuel reserves, so long as the refineries can be completed on schedule."

"See that they are. We don't have the fuel to proceed any further, let alone reached our targeted destination. This plan, my plan that I develop nearly thirty years ago, should solve those problem."

"And a perfect plan it is your Excellency. Everything is moving ahead as you predicted. The fall of the Vasper star-system with acceptable losses, the Khimeran forces displacement and mobilization to your current actions and the building of the largest productions and shipyards facilities outside the Soiree star-system," Herdule said, never once raising his head as he praise the Admiral.

"Then make sure everything moves ahead smoothly from this moment forth, the lost of the _**8th Reserve Squadron**_ was a blow, a minor one at best, but still a blow to our forces. Order the _**115th Attack Squadron**_ on standby and ready to move out. The moment we have an exact fixed on that Khimeran fleet, they are to move out immediately and dispose of it. Secondly, triple the number of patrols in this system, if so much as a rock move out of place abnormally, I want it investigated and destroyed. Are you clear on that admiral," Kirfin wave his left index finger side to side, his eyebrows lowering to Herdule head." Thirdly, I want that Helium -3 gas here sooner rather than later. Without it, we are doom to remain here indefinitely, which means my mission fails. I do not accept failure. See to it that Admiral Xinom understands that. Now go."

Without a reply Herdule turned on his heeled and returned to the elevator platform in three easy steps as Kirfin return his gazed to the two asteroids now in orbit. The third already in route, in just a matter of days those asteroid would be hollowed out, the minerals and ores recovered used to slowly turned the three asteroids into two very large orbital shipyards and one MS mass-production facility with the sole purpose of producing new war-machines, if the raw materials to do so ever arrives."

Only then would this lengthy war, have a favorable outcome.

**Onboard the OC-10R2-NOS**

"Down to twenty bundles of chaff, Sergeant," the weapons officer reported on interphone."Twenty-three kilometers until we reached Ren Gia Du Prison airspace."

Erson swore to himself, and then replied quickly." I won't argue with results, Lieutenant-- we're still alive. Just make sure it stays that way."

" Yes, Sergeant," the Lieutenant replied." Nineteen kilometers to go." As bad as it was up in the cockpit, the young gunnery officer thought, it would be even worst for the six poor souls back there.

The _**R2-NOS's**_ threat warning receiver was beeping well before they crossed within fifty kilometers of _**Ren Gia Du**_ prison; the first of many long-range radar at _**Opan AFB**_ picked up their aircraft two hundred kilometers distance and they started their decent to get under radar coverage then. At 100 kilometers, even though they were flying less than 500 feet above the ground, the radar picked them up once again; at eighty kilometers, the first mobile SAM launcher acquisition radar was detected, and a few kilometers later they detected the SAM launcher target illuminators. That's when they decided to go down to fifty, using the FLIR camera and radar altimeter, which measured the altitude between the belly of the plane and the surface directly below, to keep from crashing.

When the first SAM launched at fifty kilometers, it was like a nightmare come alive. The cockpit crew could actually see the missile lift off; its bright rocket-motor plume clearly visible on the could see the bright yellow arc as it described a powered, semi-ballistic flight path through the sky. The pilot punched out chaff, racked the _**R2-NOS**_ into a tight right turn using max pressure on the control stick to get the tightest turn--- but the SAM followed. A second SAM went up, followed by a third. The Guild missile crew wasn't taking any chances, they wanted that aircraft down and burning, while one missile couldn't guarantee that happening, two or three surely would claimed a kill. The pilot set the radar altimeter warning bug to thirty feet; Erson and his commandos in the cargo bay heard almost constant warning tones as the pilot edged lower and lower, trying to evade the missiles. When the pilot banked hard, the radar altimeter broke lock, the warning horn sounded constantly, and the commandos all feared that it would be the last sound they'd hear before crashing into the ground.

"All chaff expended," the gunner reported. They would be going in completely unprotected now.

Every hard bank threw the cargo bay occupants harder and harder against their harnesses, but each jarring move made Erson smile." Like riding a MS with bad stabilizer joints," Erson said to Private Adows Rein, motioning towards the cockpit. The noise level was very high in the_** R2-NOS's**_ cargo bay because they had removed the small rear door before takeoff---it would make it easier to do what they needed to do once they got over Ren Gia Du prison." They're doing pretty good."

"How are we doing, Lieutenant?" Erson called up front to the weapons officer." Was that a SAM you evaded?"

"No sir! That was three," the weapons officer replied.

"Pretty good," Erson said." Expect a second volley in a few minutes and be sure to destroy it with the Rorqual anti-radar missiles. If it doesn't come up, prepare for anti-aircraft radar. I have no intention of walking to our target tonight."

"You got it, Sarge--oh shit, die bastards...shit...there! Shoot those Guilds bastards!" the weapons officer shouted. The commandos in the cargo bay could hear the threat warning receiver beep, and the _**R2-NOS**_ entered another impossibly tight break to evade another missile moment later they heard a loud fwooosh! From the right wing as the Rorqual anti-radar missile left its tail, and moments later, the threat tone abruptly ended.

"Nice one, Lieutenant," Erson called up to the pilot, smiling even more broadly, wishing he could see the action from the cockpit." Keep it up, Let me know when you have that prison in sight."The weapons officer's response was a choked off by another hard break, this time to the left, followed by another Rorqual launch."

"That was the last Rorqual missile---we're on our own, Erson said.' What the hells going on. Intel never said Ren Gia Du had this much long-range defenses.' Range to our target?"

"Twenty kilometers to go, sir."Erson frowned: they were still several minutes away from being able to attack any of the air defense sites with Alt missiles. The longer-ranged SAM batteries could still track and shoot at them, no matter how low they flew.

Erson clicked on the radio:" NightHawk, this is Sally-One. Time to light em up boys." He removed the headset and tossed it aside." things about to get real hairy, real fast. Range to that prison, Lieutenant?"

"Seventeen kilom----"He was interrupted by the threat warning receiver's blaring alarm again---it was another mobile SAM site. Erson looked into Private Rein's eyes, and he could sense his fear---that SAM was lock on, and there was nowhere to run now." SAM acquisition....SAM target illuminator...They then heard the fast, high-pitched deedledeedledeedle! As the threat warning system detected the SAM launching. Erson was well aware at the speed the SAM system went from acquisition to illuminator to missile launch told him that the SAM had a solid lock-on. The pilot immediately started his evasive maneuvers; more desperate...there was a second launch warning tone, followed immediately by a third..."

Suddenly the _**R2-NOS**_ wild evasive maneuvers were cut short. A loud terrific explosion shook the **_R2-NOS_** as if a giant palm had slapped it, and there was BOOM, like the sky tearing itself open, followed by the vibration of a nearby shockwave...but they were still flying. Erson shouted," What was that Lieutenant. What was that explosion?"

There was a tense silence, then." A Lasper sir. Ours. Took the missile hit meant for us. We now have three friendly aircraft flying escorts, multiple radar sites are off the air. They're bombing the hell out of those Guild, sir."

"Understood," Erson said, hiding his relief." Be on the look-out for antiaircraft artillery sites, Intel says their won't be any, don't mean their aren't. Take us directly to the detention facility, should be three adjacent buildings nearly identical to each other. Take us to the rooftop of the third if possible."

" Yes, Sergeant," the weapons operator replied."Our navigation coordinates are programmed for the detention facility."

"Very well, Gunner," Erson said, pulling out a chart of Ren Gia Du prison and, softly, but quickly briefed their intended target, then ordered his six commandos to get ready.

The R2-NOS pilot made a high-speed approached from the eastward side of the base at very low altitude. The weapons officer designated targets for his Alt missiles, identifying occupied buildings that looked as though they were headquarters buildings or communications centers, and at the same time took pot shots with the Gatling gun at every power transformer, large vehicle, fuel storage tank, MS hangers or anything else that he thought might disrupt things down on the base and cover their activities. The last run was at the suspected CIC headquarters with the bulk of the Alt missiles; save for two, less than 500 yards from the detention facility itself; within seconds it was a pile of burning rubble. The two remaining Alt missiles were used on the prison perimeter wall, blowing two wide holes just before the pilot started a hard climb that took him directly over the primary targeted building and hovered at 600 feet. At that point, the seven commandos in the R2-NOS's cargo section made their static-line parachute jumps.

As mission commander, Erson went first. He braced himself against the open door at the rear cargo bay, hands and toes outside. As the R2-NOS started its steep hove upwards, Erson found himself staring directly down into the detention complex, a square three-story building surrounded by fifteen-foot high wall with barb-wire on top. Then, just before the R2-NOS reached the top of its climb, Erson simply let himself fall through the opening.

He heard the hum of the hover-crafts at maximum continuous power only for a brief instant, and then he heard the wait of air-raid and emergency sirens from the base. The static line yanked his ' chute out of its pack immediately. He heard the loud crrack...whummp! of six other chutes opening above him---very close above. He looked up and saw Rein dumping air out of his ' chute right away, trying to catch up with him, the five other commandos were doing the same, all attempting to land at the same time as their leader.

By the time their chutes open, they were less than a hundred feet above ground---they barely had time to get their bearings before they had to steer their chutes towards the detention facility rooftop. Two of the commandos missed the rooftop completely as preordered, and Erson and Rein's chute actually run into each other as they maneuvered for their target. Erson realized as he approached the edge of the building rapidly, that he had miscalculated and began to dump all the air completely out of his chute in earnest from fifteen feet to make it to the roof. Rein and his three commandos hit directly in the center. A testament to their trainings and skills.

"Are you all right, Sergeant?" Rein asked as he helped Erson to his feet. He had landed heavily on his left leg, but he was on his feet and moving quickly.

"Forget me Private," Erson said to Rein in response, as he clipped night-vision goggles to their helmeted. Something was sprained in his knee, but he tried to ignore the pain.

"Ubin and Mentez have landed safely on the ground and have begun securing the building," Rein said. His night-vision goggles and those of the other commandos with him were already on." Might want to look out for them, sir."

"I'm hoping they look out for us as well," Erson barked." Let's move!." It was too easy with a single LAR2 assault rifle 7mm round to breached the roof access door and make their way inside.

The toughest form of resistance was on the second floor of the three-story building---all the Guild Guards on the first floor had retreated up to the second floor as the LFA's SEF commandos started their surprise assault; the majority of the Guild guards were station on the second floor. Erson didn't care--if it moved it died. With the LFA new standard LAR2( Lucan Assault Rifle) assault rifles high caliber rounds capable of penetrating body armor and litterly tumble into the body, the fire fight was mostly if not one sided. Erson didn't care, he was not going to try to be neat and merciful, as far as he was concern these Guild guards deserved to die for every atrocity they had committed inside this prison over the last seven years.

The hallway was light by emergency lights--those were shot out immediately. Erson and Rein then threw infrared Cyalume light sticks into the hallways, which would brightly light up the area only for persons wearing night-vision equipments. Satisfied his two commandos would remain on ground level and not stray into the line of fire, the killing began.

Erson led the way, like a man on a mission, Rein following with a Titan 500 advanced shotgun, design for close quarters combat. The Titan 500 uses a semi-automatic, fifteen-round drum-fed action, for faster reloading and makes use of standard 10-gauge shotgun shells, firing custom-made double-0 three commandos following as rear security, carrying LP-6 submachine gun. Trotting through the four corridors, their Uzi with its sixteen-inch sound suppressor fitted and loaded with thirty-round magazines loaded with 6.8mm high-velocity rounds design for penetration, Erson gunned down anyone in front of him that was alive. He rarely give the guards time to raise their own weapons--one quick shot to the chest, one point-blank to the head.

As he finished the second corridor, he heard shots coming from the next corridor to the left. He sprinted around the corner and saw a pair of guards unlocking cell doors and firing an assault rifle into the cells, then moving on to the next cell. Erson growled loudly, dropping the pair of guards from behind with two- three round burst from thirty feet. Followed by a close-up single round to the head." Lucanites!" Erson shouted." Your time of freedom has arrived. Back away from the fucking doors if you want to live long enough to enjoy it."He then checked the fourth corridor--all the guards either laid dead, dying or had made a quick escape when shooting began. Rein sent a commando to guard the main stairway, and he and Erson began checking each cell.

The cells turn out to be small dormitory-type rooms, remodeled to be prisoner and punishment-reprimand facilities. Usually it only took one shotgun blast on the top outwardly swinging hinge to crack and pull the door open. When Erson, now with a Cyalume light stick around his neck, glanced into an occupied cell, he saw two men lying on the ground, facing the door, hands on their head.

"On your feet, soldiers," Erson said."I'm here to get you out."

The first cell he breached had an old friend from his academy days, a Corporal Benedict Sterling and an unknown soldier barely in his twenties."Sonofabitch----Its Sergeant Erson! Sterling said as he helped the young man up." New comer, got here a week ago. I've got him, Sergeant. Guards did a number on him."

"Make sure they pay for what they did to all of you,"," Erson said, handing Sterling a handgun from a dead Guild guard. He was off, checking more cells.." Follow me and what ever you do stay close."

**Aboard the MST helicopter**

The sudden beeping of one of her sub-monitors brought Vel Conirs full attention away from the thick booklet that read in thick bold print Technical Manual:_** TSX-09AX Virage**_.

' What does that fool want now,' swore Vel Conirs as she gazed at her main screen picture, the ground came up as a lightless fast moving wall of darkness. She reached across and cycle to low light, the picture change to an eerie green as her Virage mono-eye camera saw it at those settings.

Another beep on her console, Vicati swore inwardly and flipped the comm. switch to ON, glaring through her helmet at the helmet covered face of Amberg." Your suppose to be on radio silence until we arrived at our destination or didn't you read the fine print, Lieutenant. So why the hell are you disturbing me."

"The pilot said we got an emergency beacon from Ren Gia Du prison complex a few minutes ago," Amberg said." Their being over run by rebel forces, same shit from the main ground force detachment in the area. According to our pilot, he's got a digital link with an AEW&C in the area, theirs also some type of an air battle going on less than two hundred kilometers ahead of us."

Vel Conirs eyes narrowed." Can we go around the battle and proceed to our destination unhindered. Never mind, I'll find out for myself what is going on around here."

Vel Conirs dialed up the AEW&C, a frequency where most chatter would occur when a major battle was going on nearby----and the news she heard was bad.

A Senior controller aboard the AEW&C was drawing into Vel Conirs headset," One bogey southeast ninety NM (Nautical Miles) and circling Ren Gia Du prison. Doing 540 knots."

Bogeys were usually unfriendly aircrafts patrolling a battlefield, armed with gravity bombs, AA missiles and 20mm the pilot of the a MST carrying two fully loaded and armed MS, the word meant danger.

Amberg came on her comm. He had long since been a thorn in her side, but he was four months her senior in the ESF and his intuitions and decisions was always crisps and on the ball." That Bogey's heading directly for us and fast."

"Amberg! What is it? Is it Fighter or transport?"

'If it's a fighter, we're so screw, she thought. Why didn't we have an escort? Simple our Mission is top secret of course.

The pilot had the MST helicopter in a dive for the surface.

Vel Conirs flipped the data-link display to active, the radar system of the MST helicopter was linked directly to her own radar systems and it fed vital information to her Virage , allowing her to see what her radar was incapable of. The radar signal bouncing off the bogey was a rare-type, in effect it was unknown, not presents in the laundry list of radars and attacked planes flown by any of the other countries. Her head, however, unlike the data-link, was stuffed with such unconsidered trifles: she knew immediately what it was.

"Its a Kazan built HF-03 Sur-Jin! Two AA missiles, poor radar performance. Pilot, get us below five hundred feet and he won't be able to get a tone with his birds."

Thankfully, the pilot was someone who listen and obeyed commands without comments, never to question any given order; in essence the perfect soldier. "Yes ma'am. Understood, we're going through two thousand and I'd really like to know his stall speed and do those things carry a gun?"

Vel Conirs searched her memory from the days of Ratheon Institute and every thing came rushing into her mind." Two 20-millimeters.150 knots clean."

She glanced at the screen; Shit, he's close, Vel Conirs thought, and all hell broke loose.

"Chaff flare!" shouted the co-pilot, and he fired the sequence himself from beside the pilot. The co-pilot's RAW showed a launch somewhere behind him. Vel Conirs leaned forward against the power of the dive and tried to read their altitude." Below 1000! she said, and the pilot pulled hard to right, worse than the hardest break Vel Conirs had ever seen.

The pilot turned the MST helicopter in a comfortable turn. A flash went by Vel Conir's main screen."Missile," Vel Conirs said, hoping she was wrong. The co-pilot was shouting to Opan AFB, but nobody was going to save them; they were to far out, for all intense purposes they were on their own.

"He's on top of us," Amberg said.

The MST helicopter bucked savagely. They all knew the MST had been hit by several 20-millimeter exploding rounds; at four hundred feet, any mistake and they were dead.

The pilot tightened his turn and dumped more speed in exasperation, but knowing ultimately it was futile. A fully loaded MST helicopter was unarmed and could never out maneuver a fighter. 'I won't allow my mission to fail without a sign of hope, he muttered, he swore the two ESF would survive." Lieutenants, prepare to combat-drop immediately. We can't shake guy...

Before Vel Conirs could object, she heard a rapid deedledeedledeedle! warning tone followed by the computer confirmation "**MISSILE LAUNCH....MISSILE LAUNCH...!"**

Vel Conirs immediately switched her MS from standby to full COMBAT mode and all of the Virage countermeasures equipment, snapping her mono-eye right and left trying to track the missiles more than the fighter. A brief violent flare lit up her main screen, followed by a sudden jerk and a shudder as the clamps holding the MS was release, and then she knew they were falling fast towards the ground.

" Mayday, Mayday, Mayday,** Flight One-Eight-Zero on GUARD**," the pilot of the MST helicopter shouted on the emergency frequency." Position...." And the radio went dead.

Vel Conirs glanced once at her altimeter at the corner of her eyes, watching the numbers drop fast, while knowing in her heart the MST helicopter had been hit. She glanced back at her main camera and saw the fireball that was the MST as she activated her main thrusters, increasing output slowly to build thrust at 200-meters, until she had slowed her fast decent with her Virage powerful thrusters. Setting down on the ground with hardly a _**TMS-19B Gizen**_ (r) also landed behind hers, his shield Gatling gun angle skywards, searching out the fighter as they both watched on their main screen picture, the burning MST helicopter descending quickly to the ground, nosing over slightly just before hitting the ground in the distance. There was only a fireball arcing upwards to confirm where it had crashed.

"What now, Lieutenant." Amberg whispered softy, with the barest hint of anger."We're on a tightly schedule and we just lost our transport."

Vel Conirs swore inside, afraid to speak out immediately else her emotion would be detected, she was riddle by guilt and anguish for a minute, then calmly, into the mike, she whispered," Proceed on course to our primary destination immediately. Those fuckers are going to pay for this, when we get back. If the army don't kill them all by then."

" Roger, that," Amberg replied."We're still a good distance away, but we can make it. But just barely."

Shouldering the TMR-B-46/G 380mm bazooka with her left hand, Vel Conirs beckon Amberg in his Gizen (r) with her right, the Virage kicked on its powerful thrusters and launched itself upwards and turn north-east in mid-air before her thrusters pushed her ahead with Amberg following behind.

**Ren Gia Du prison**

The search was not pretty; the prison showed evidence of years of brutality and torture, and after a short time Erson wasn't feeling as if he'd accomplished were prisoners in the other cells other than Lucan soldiers and Government officials. Mostly suspect terrorists, weapons dealers and those civilians that simply did not know when to shut their mouth.

The final tally made the rescue even more worthwhile: two hundred and thirty-one Lucanite soldiers, including several officers ( who were on the highest priority list) and twenty-eight former government officials, equally as important. Eleven others had been killed by the Guild Guards; several critically wounded.

"Keep searching, I want every prisoner found, release and identified immediately," Erson said." We'll search this entire building if we have too."

But there was no time for that---one of the SEF commandoes ran up the stairs to report that pair of heavy infantry vehicles was spotted on their way, but no sign of any tanks or MSs as yet." Shit, guess our MS team didn't put up enough of a fight, it didn't take them long to send their infantry forces back."

"The cavalry isn't here, high chance they got held up. Our best chance is on the road," Erson said." We should could try stealing a vehicle; try making it out into the open countryside. Our forces are spread out about one hundred klicks east," Erson was well aware his option was running out quickly--but if they stayed in that building, they'd be surrounded quickly and killed off slowly but surely." Elpo, Grents, bring those anti-tank rockets. The rest of you, first chance you get and not before, get out of here and head eastward."

Erson signal to the two Privates and exit the building to hear the sounds of heavy-caliber weapons to the north, and moving closer as they made a break towards the perimeter wall, he looked for a spot near the hole in the perimeter wall the R2-NOS Alt missiles had made that would offer both a cover and vantage point. When he found what he was looking for, he moved ahead to his new position. His pace was deliberate, not hurried, and he continued to look into the darkness for the approaching Vosgove or Thranka, even as the heavy-caliber gun fire in the distance continuously moved closer, for Erson that was a distraction; those heavy-caliber weapons could only mean MS and they were not equipped to deal with multiple MSs.

Erson twisted his head to the left where Elpo took up position." Elpo, you fire make sure you call out your range before you do." Erson twisted his head to find the second soldier." Grents, listen up for Elpo's range and watch where his rocket the necessary corrections if you need too, then it."

To his right, Private Grents had already shouldered the AAP-6 anti-armor penetrator and was intently staring through the sights, said nothing. He only nodded, a nod that Erson didn't see, not that he needed to. Grents was young but he was solid and dependable. Erson knew Grent had , a smile on his face, turned to Erson." No sweat, Sarge."

Erson was about to respond when Grents yelled." **RANGE, TWO HUNDRED METERS! FIRING**!"

The snap that announced the ignition of the AAP-6's rocket motor, followed by a whoosh as the rocket left the tube. Watching the rocket, Erson was blinded when the shaped-charge warhead made contact with the Thranka head-on. The jet-stream formed by the explosion of the rocket's inverted cone-shape warhead cut through the armor of the Thranka's front slope just below the roof. Missing the driver's head by inches, the jet-stream hit the Thranka's gunner square in the stomach after cutting through the ammunition feed chute that fed linked rounds to the Thranka's 14.5mm machine gun. The driver was startle by the sudden explosion on the Thranka's front slope, followed by the spray of molten metal thrown off by the jet-stream as it raced past his head, and the screams of the gunner accompanied by the pop, pop, pop of the 14.5mm rounds going off behind him. His instinctive reaction was to slam on the brakes and duck his head, a motion that caused him to jerk the wheel to the left.

Watching where Grent's round struck, and noting that it appeared a little high, Elpo laid the three-hundred-meter range line of his rocket launcher's sight on the center of the Thranka, now slowing and offering an oblique shot as it turned. Lowering the muzzle of his AAP-6 ever slightly, Elpo yelled out," **RANGE, ONE** ." then let fly with his the rocket. Though it was not a catastrophic hit, Elpo's rocket ended any desire by the startle Thranka's crew and passengers to stay with their vehicle. They didn't even wait for the driver to bring the Thranka to a complete stop before hatches and doors flew open.

Checking himself, Erson flipped the safety off his weapon with his thumb and continued to wait until the Guild infantry squad began to spill out before he opened fired. Using the range announced by Elpo to sight his LAR2, Erson opened with a killing burst, hitting one Guild before he could completely emerge from the Thranka's side door. The guild's forward momentum, assisted by the shoving of the man behind him, cleared the line of sight for Erson to fire on the next man coming out the door. The second Guild never realized that his companion had been hit, a fate that he soon suffered himself as Erson squeezed off a second burst.

From inside the Thranka, a flame shot out of the opened door, followed by muffled explosion. A secondary detonation, probably an anti-tank rocket stored inside the Thranka just like the one that had stopped it, went off, ending the short anti-armor ambush.

Seeing no immediate threat, Erson eased up, signal to the first group of escapees to begin there escape with the waving of a signal flare. He stared motionless as several dozen inmates made good their escapes, even as he turned to search out the second Thranka. The report had said two IFVs incoming.

But as he searches it out, they immediately drew heavy caliber weapon fire from the hidden infantry vehicle. Erson swore, they weren't fully equipped to fight it out with Guild infantry---they'd brought just enough guns and ammunition to get the job done and leave, not a prolong shoot-out with infantry forces." Back inside! Erson shouted." We are going to have to fall back!"

Suddenly the unseen Thranka exploded in a huge fireball, less than three feet from the perimeter wall. Then further away, one, then two other explosions followed suit. Erson and Elpo cut down three infantrymen trying to rush the wall--but they weren't attacking, they were running from something behind them. Seconds later, another explosion ripple across the field across from them.

"What is it, Sergeant?"

"I hope it's the cavalry," Erson replied.

Sure enough, it was. Out the darkness, the R2-Nos appeared. It swooped in towards the security headquarters building with incredible grace and speed, for an aircraft its size, its hover-craft engines keeping it aloft as it slowly descended. It Gatling gun spat fire in several directions at ground targets to far away for Erson to see as the aircraft landed on the ground. Before the cargo ramp fully open, SEF followed by several dozen prisoners were running out the building and taking security positions around the aircraft.

Sergeant Erson ran over to the_** R2-NOs**_ and into the cockpit as several SEF commandos helped the injured to the aircraft." Why'd you come back?" He felt like hugging the Lieutenant.

"Later sir," the pilot said." Right now, we got a company of MS heading this way, with who knows what else behind them. We're getting the hell out of here real fast. We're low on fuel, and our fighter escort can't hold them back for long and don't worry about the rest of the prisoners. Their rides here."

Erson watched in owe as three old rotor-blade helicopters in near perfection formation drop out of nowhere and the gunners door open with heavy caliber machine gun swiveling right and left, spitting tracers in the dead of night at unseen enemy forces.

Erson stopped staring ahead mouth agape in shocked, then nodded resignedly and said," Get us out of here ASAP, Lieutenant."

"Yes, sir."

In less than a minute, everyone was evacuated from the building and into the awaiting helicopters and the R2-NOS was ground hogging its way out of Ren Gia Du prison complex. The R2-NOS threat warning receiver beeped a few times, but the observed no missiles launchers or fighter pursuit; and for that Erson was thankful. He highly doubts they'd be able to dodge a single SAM with their current load of prisoners.

Without another word, he walked out the cockpit and let the pilot go about the task of getting them to Unterrem safely.

And then, the real battles began.


	22. Chapter 21

**Mobile Suit Gundam: Vanguard Blitz**

Chapter 21

**Aboard the Nemesis**

"Switching all systems to Combat Mode," Kailyn announced." Give me a last minute systems read-out. Pay close attention to the primary computer systems and report any sudden abnormalities immediately."

Kailyn closed his eyes deeply for a second before flipping the red-guarded switch in front of him with a thumb, checked all the rest of of his switch configurations, then nestle his butt deeper into his seat and tightened up his lap belt and shoulder straps, before adjusting his pilot's helmet properly over his head." Combat mode engage."

Outside Gigher pressed a small switch light on the computer in front of him, and just like that, the final checklist was complete for arming the weapons systems, configuring the threat warning and defensive systems, and preparing the Gizen (r) for men, inside the MS and out checked the HUD's ( Heads-Up Display) as the computer reported all of the sub-systems' status, and then the final preparations for the MS to move-out began in earnest. It took less than a minute to confirmed that the computer had switched all systems into Combat Mode." Everythings in the green, sir!" Gigher announced over the intercom.

" I Confirmed, all systems are a go! Clear the hanger-bay, I'm heading out!" Kailyn said as he ease the twin sticks forward and felt the jolt as the Gizen (r) move forward towards the rear of the hangerbay. He watched the blast shield took its place behind the MS on the secondary cameras, only then did the backpack mounted thrust vectoring thrusters ignited as he increase the throttle forward. The intense but focus rocket force behind him made the Gizen (r) shudder as it slowly gathered strength, the Gizen (r) engines ripped the night apart.

His heart began pounding as he scanned the engine instruments, satisfied. Kailyn glanced directly ahead at the ink-black void and swallowed a lump in his throat._'Bloody krill_!"

The force coming from those rocket nozzles on the backpack and wing binders, catapult the Gizen (r) forward and out of the Nemesis hangerbay and into the night sky, the G-force pushing him back into his seat and the outside of the Nemesis hangerbay as the howl of the thrusters dropped in pitch. The deck edge flashed under the Gizen (r)s feet and the G-force subside, and he released the throttles and snapped the wing binders outward to gain lift as he let the MS climbed to its optimum alttitude. Accelerating nicely ahead...400...480...520 kph, still accelerating and climbing, wing binders and flaps up, little shuddering as they automatically adjusted to increase lift...Passing 580 kph, he looked at his secondary cameras for the lights of the Miska-Class assualt carrier, which should have, as preplan, been releasing intermittent streams of built up minovsky particles over their flight path, in the hopes of breaking-up his early detection by radar and IR sensors.

Kailyn maneuvered the Gizen (r) into a simple barrel-roll in mid-air, followed by a Kulbit maneuver; he felt the sensation in the pit of his stomach as the Gizen (r) did an incredible tight diameter loop, in the midst of right the hand withdrawing the 60mm Juri from it latch, mostly to test the command to response timing of the MS as well as the air resistant and drag affect his shield had with these maneuvers.

Satisfied their would be no lasting ill-effect with the heavy optional extra source of flipped the communication switch in the midst of maneuvering the MS into a fuel conserving cruise at 560 kph." Black Ace to Home-Plate. You know the plan. Try and not get to far ahead, I doubt I will have the fuel for an extended return flight!"

"Understood, and try not to get to caught up in a prolong battle , target is currently at eleven thousand feet, One-Nine-Three, ninety-three kilometers out and closing. Should be making visual contact... in sixteen minutes at you current rate of speed. Good-luck and good hunting Black Ace."

_'Good Luck he says and who comes up wit these call signs. Black Ace, krill'_ Kailyn mumble to himself. Easing into a left turn and he glanced back for the Nemesis._'Krill, its dark out here!There_----a mile or so behind. His eyes reverted back to the gauges, he was dropping slowly and turning on a matching course with the HAT that was several dozen miles ahead.----Kailyn breathe deeply and tried to relaxed as his eyes roamed across the panel, taking everything in.

He stole a glance at his fuel gauge as he level his flight on an intercept course with the last known reported flight path of the Guild transport carrier. The fuel totalizer had began its relentless march toward zero when he had started the engines. The cruising speed would delay the inevitable, but not prevent it.' _Well they'll pick me up long before I get into visual range, might as well start the panicking early_.' Kailyn added more power to the engine and dropped the MS's altitude even lower.

**Aboard the Biafritz**

From his position directly behind Captain Raden, Colonel Orsini could see the assemble Lupos Stratus pilots and hangerbay crew standing before Captain Raden, some with their backs against the bulkhead, while others continously fine tune the war-machines for combat, but all listening attentively. Orsini was acutely aware of the sound of his own breathing. He turned his head slightly to the left towards his own MS, while continueing to listen on as Raden laid out his new plan of action. The navy bastard sounded so goddamn confident, so sure he had all the bases covered this time around. And he did. The new plan was only partially completed; their remaining time until operation began didn't allow for any other additions, but it was enough to take care of the Gizen (r) once and for all. That much Orsini was sure of. He knew the plan in and out, since he, Dale, Gily and Raden had been up very late into the night making adjustments to the original plan that had failed miserably, but given them an idea of the El Ninos' atmospheric MS strength. It would seem their entire air-defence was centered around the Gizen (r), not that the El Nino didn't have teeths of its own. The previous battle, while initially costly had given them something to work around, where previously they had only speculations. Orsini Turned his attention back to Raden and listen.

...Streaker One, Two and Three will proceed to engage the enemy MS with the intention of keeping the pilot preoccupied. The first ten to fifteen minutes of engagement will be crucial, you'll have superior numbers; but the enemy MS has superior speed, maneuverability and weapons, which will likely make it an even and drawn out battle. That is where Omega squadron comes in and join forces with Streaker squadron, by this time Streaker squadron should have used up a majority of their ammunition and fuel, but still retain more than enough to increase the odds 6:1 against the enemy for a limited period of time. More than enough time to bring the enemy MS down. Are their any questions , good. Operations begans in forty-five minutes, I want Streaker squadron's MSs fuel and ammo rechecked before launching. All pilots if your not already, get suited up and inside your MS ASAP. Ordance crew, get ready to bring additional missiles and 40mm HEI-T rounds for those TAU-21Cs the moment the first squadron launches." The pilots stood there and stared at him." Well, get going. We don't have all night."

Raden turn around briskly and walked the few steps towards Orsini, a sneer of contempt on his lips." I did exactly as you ordered, keeping the fact that you and I will be launching directly behind Omega squadron to deal the final blow as it were to the TMS-19B ourselves. But damn, these kids are even greener, than the earlier pilots. You can almost smell the mint off these ones."

Orsini ignored him pilots weren't going to use their heads, several of their owned had been killed without an ounce of blood taken in return. The moment they were out there and away from the Biafritz, they would forget that mission brief and the operation plans and cut loose. That Kailyn Starken had shown a remarkable ability to adapt quickly, to quickly; he probably had already anticipated an attack before sunrise, as a fellow special forces operative, Orsini would expect no less from a _Noir Knight_ . The likeliest answer to that possibility was to concentrate their entire efforts into taking out the Gizen (r), even if it meant using the bulk of his remaining forces as nothing more than a lure and cannon fodder, leaving himself to deal the finishing blow to an exhausted Kailyn Starken and hopefully weaponless Gizen (r). Still, in war nothing ever goes the way you've planned it, so the name of the game was keeping options open.

Captain Raden just didn't know just how few options they really had. He had decided earlier, during Raden revision of his plan, not to stress the fact that there was a 80 percent chance no one in the first squadron would survive a fifteen minute engagement with the Gizen (r).But, at least now those pilots had a straw to grab for, something to aim for and keep busy as their final hours tick by.

Suddenly the **_Biafritzs _**went to general quarters; its alarms blasting throught-out the hanger bay, crews and MS pilots alike stopped what they were doing in mid-step listening, staring wildly about and evidently a confused look written across their face.

Orsini and Raden shared a glanced as the warning klaxons was heard through-out the aircraft and both men went for the nearest intercom. Orsini was closer and as expected made it first, just in time to hear the announcement over the public-address system.

" New Radar contact, bearing three-five-four, range zero-three-six miles and closing rapidly. Its the TMS-19B Gizen (r)."

Orsini was already talking to Gily, who was yelling at someone on the bridge." Whats going on up there, Lieutenant!"

" Its the Gizen (r), sir. Radar only just picked it up and its heading directly towards us on a intercept vector. It's been using minovsky particles to mask its initial approach and just went to full speed, radar barely has a lock!" Gily voice was calm and collect.

Raden was less calm and he shouted into Orsini left ear." Sonofabitch! If that MS is heading our way, my plans are no good anymore. He just took the initiative away from us and force us on the def...

Orsini gripped Raden on the left wrist tightly, stopping him in mid-sentence." Then stop standing there yapping into my ears and get to your MS and lead the interception squadron. He just saved us the trouble of going after him ourselves. Leave nothing of that MS except the dead pilot." He pushed Raden away and turn back to the intercom, his teeth grinding in hate_.' Well done Noire Knight, well done. A preemptive strike against impossible odds. I should have known your options was limited as well and this one smells of desperation."_ Whats the ETA on that MS."

Gily was silent for several seconds as he confer with someone out of earshot."What ever we do, it better be real fast At its current rate of speed. It'll be in weapons range in twenty-one minutes. Changing course now to buy us more time."

Captain Rangen came hurrying acrosss the deck carrying a load of flight gear." Heard the announcement, thought you might need these a little earlier, sir."

" Thanks, Captain." Orsini pulled his flight suit from the pile Rangen laid on the deck and zipped it around his stomach and legs. Then he wriggled into his torso harness. All of this was going over his flight suit, since he had been prepared to launched behind Omega squadron just before the warning.

" Bring the Chief Warrant Officer," Orsini said to Rangen as he pulled on his survival vest," over here and have him talk to me.I need to know the status of my suit immediately!"

Orsini turned to watched the first Lupos Stratus began to move with a purpose; only four of the machines remained, with Captain Raden Lupos CT not yet activated, it would take some time to warm-up and the Gizen permanently down for the count; it had absorbed far to many rounds from a very powerful assault rifle; not unlike its own 90mm heavy assault rifle, but with a lower calibre and yet higher armor penetrating kick to it and would need at least a week at a repair facility, before it became operational again.

Rangen came back with the chief right behind him."Morning, Colonel," the chief was dress in overalls, with a grey shirt showing underneath.

"Tell me what you know about my suit and make it fast."

The Chief Warrant officer who appeared before him looked bone tired and filthy. But then again so was the rest of his crew, who were already helping with the final launch preparation of the remaining Lupos Stratuses. The man wiped the oily grime off his face with his shirttail and began briefing Orsini as he completed donning his flight gear. " These expiremental Tetanus suits don't exactly come with an operational manual, but with the optional flight backpack, it should move and maneuver like the Lupos Stratus, if not better. You have two TAU-21C 40mm Gatling guns, one on each legs hardpoints and two T-S/31 Heat sword on the skirt hard point. It's also carrying a double barrel machine-cannon, mounted on the left forearm, 20mms. HE rounds, not very effectve at long range."

Orsini expiremental suits weren't exactly built for combat conditions, only to test out new technology for later use in future mass-production flight backpack wasn't a new concept; but to the Guild, it was a new technological field only now being approached idea to turn a ground MS into a flight capable one by simply adding a flight backpack in less than twenty minutes was to good to let go.

Rangen stepped back as the first Lupos Stratus stepped forward and took its place on the linear catapult for immediate launch. Deck crews scurried out of the way as the engines ignited.

" Ok," Orsini said." Now get out there and give everyone a good your time, we don't have time to correct any mistakes."

" Yes,sir," the chief warrant officer replied and disappeared out of sight.

Orsini turned to Captain Rangen." Suit-up Captain, pilot the other will surely get hairy as they say out there.I'll need all the MS we can launched out side as soon as possible."

Rangen nodded and saluted." Yes, sir." Even as the linear catapult screech forward taking the first Lupos Stratus out of the hanger bay and out into the night sky.

l

Kailyn's Gizen (r) had originally came from the north, with his throttles pulled back to max conserve, he remained at 8,000 feet and watched as the Guild HAT change to an easterly heading on his radar; it was still to far away to get a was trying to run away or to at least put some distance between them, probably to by more time to launch its MS compliment he doubt he had caught them by surprise and they were rushing to launch their MS in order to intercept him.

The Gizen (r) altered course accordingly on an intercept vector and Kailyn began scanning ahead and spotted it less than three minutes later. Even in the great blackness he could make out the collection of lights that was the was the Guild HAT. It was far bigger than he had thought it would be.

Kailyn glanced at the range on his computer; the aircraft was still seven kilometers away, but the range was dropping off rapidly at his approach._' Less than seven kilometers and they still haven't launched anything. Or wait, here comes the first sucker to his own funeral.'_

The new blip appeared small in contrast to the larger blip that was the HAT, but its course was not easterly, it change its heading northward and increase speed as it kicked on its after-burners. Kailyn dropped the Gizen (r) to 7800 feet and selected his 60mm Juri on his weapons selection pad, and flipped the safety-off.

The ECM beeped. Kailyn eyed it. A mobile suits' G-band warning from straight ahead. Lupos Stratus?Only one, probably rushed out the launch bay.

The tone from the ECM gear rose in pilot. The Lupos Stratus had switched to a higher pulse repetition frequency, trying to track him. This guy was actually hoping to shoot at him first! It was a shame his assualt rifle had a longer range than that Gatling gun.

Kailyn level his 60mm assault rifle, double checked the weapons setting. It was on semi-automatic mode. The octagon shape recticule was already tracking the Lupos Stratus less than two kilometer ahead, but unable to get a fixed lock-on as yet.

The pilot wasted no time, clearly out of targeting range and no chance of a possible hit, the Lupos Stratus pilot rotary cannon belching flames as it spit an endless stream of tracers towards the Gizen (r) and Kailyn reduce thrust on the left wing binder, with flick of a few switches, while tracking in on the source of the sparkling incoming rounds, with the increase thrust coming from the right wing binder, the Gizen (r) shifted to the left. Giving the tracers an even wider berth.

" Here we go! Sigma, analyze and predict enemy MS movements? There was no response from the Neural Limiter; not even a sudden shock at the back of his skull as he'd expected or the sudden warmt sensation of its mental probing and interferrence as it dug into his subconcious.

" Sigma...ahh fuck it!" Kailyn locked on the lone Lupos Stratus; already at his minimum possible range and spitting tracers non-stop and fired three quick API rounds from the 60mm Juri, feeling the Gizen (r) vibrated with each recoil from the rifle, while spittling three high-velocity tracers out of the barrel. The three rounds vanish off into the night at the speed of sound like super-sonic fireflies, seconds later the Lupos Stratus stopped firing its Gatling gun.

For what seemed like a full minute, nothing happen. Just as Kailyn thought the three rounds had missed or harmlessly flew pass and the pilot was reloading, he saw a bright flash of light and puff of fire across his main screen picture; then as if the Lupos Stratus pilot had decided to land, the MS descended quickly to the ocean, nosing over head first slightly before it exploded off in the distance, brighting up the night sky for a few seconds as the fireball spread outward and quickly vanish. The flaming wreckage of what was once a Lupos Stratus continued falling to the ocean below. Kailyn jerked the twin sticks aft as he released the trigger.

Kailyn now turn his attention towards the HAT, now only eight kilometers away, but high; just not high enough, only 12,000 feet or so. It was turning south-east, away from him at a high rate of speed. Great, maybe he could get in a couple of rounds into its structure before the next Lupos Stratus launched; of course he didn't expect the 60mm API rounds to do much damage to that behemot, but the psychological effect would increase the panic aboard as the rounds struck the airframe and echoed within. He pulled back on the sticks and altered course to intercept.

He had used three rounds to bring down the first Lupos Stratus launched after him by the HAT. Not even a quarter of his clip. There was eighteen rounds of API rounds left and that would do alot of damage, if he could put all in the right spot. Then he would simply reload and empty an entire 20-round clip into its fuselage. It wouldn't destroy the HAT, of course; he didn't have the high calibre guns needed for something of that size, but his mission would be complete.

Two new symbols popped on his IR main screen picture and the heads-up display. Dead ahead. Both turned immediately, one right and one left. Kailyn swore inwardly. He was a fool, to think it would be this easy.

The HAT began moving right to left, and one of the new arriving Lupos Stratus was turning left hard, probably intending a 270 degree turn. Shit , he was turning tightly; he must have been at max thrust when he launched; which erased a catapult launched and dropping fast. The other Lupos Stratus had turned right and was already head-on to Kailyn. The ECM was beeping.

Kailyn alter course to the right to approached him head-on. Down to 680 kilometers of air-speed. He looked through the heads-up display. The symbol was on him. There .Coming faster than a thought. A pair of flashes. Missiles !

Kailyn popped chaff. The missile didn't track him. It shot pass in the minovsky cloud left behind by the Nemisis like a blind unguided rocket, its thrusters flaring brightly behind it in the blackness of the night.

Kailyn increase thrust. He was aware of the tracers coming from the Lupos Stratus as he flip the Juri lever to automatic fire and ease the twin sticks up. A line of high velocity tracers shot forward as the 60mm Juri assault rifle wound up to maximum rate-of-fire and the barrel jerked from the recoil rapidly, dropping his accuracy a notch, but not enough. The tracers severed the main spar of the right wing, among other things, and the right wing immediately seperated from the Lupos Stratus. The MS began to roll violently out of control as the upper torso felled sideways. Then the left wing tore off from the tremendous stress. Seconds later the left leg ripped away. Rolling slowly now and streaming fire, the remainder of the MS continued its two-mile plunge towards the black sea below.

' _Where'd that other one go_?' he asked himself as the Gs tore at him and he scanned the radar screen in the midst of ejecting his empty clip and reloading a fresh clip. He felt a thump. Something had hit the Gizen (r) and he glanced at the engine instruments and warning lights. All green.

" There." Kailyn kept the twin stick back and the Gizen (r)'s head climbing. He smoothly advanced the throttles and burners kicked in, giving him the needed extra thrust. There , he saw the Lupos Stratus high-up and its wings outstretched, diving down like a bird of prey, spitting 40mm tracers from its 40mm Gatling gun.

Kailyn was going up with the burners wide open, closing the gap on the Lupos Stratus He rolled away from the lines of tracers, some streaking within inches, while others bouncing harmlessly off the shields' surface, while trying to keep the Gizen (r) main camera locked onto his opponent. The enemy pilot barrel rolled, twisting away in mid-spin, his burner lit and energy level still high. Kailyn neutralized the stick and pulled the throttles back, out of burner. He still had the speed advantage and was closing, but he was closing to fast to get the Juri barrel up in time to get a shot off. He reverse thrust, kicked the Gizen (r) legs out as a speed brake and fired two short burst. The Lupos Stratus was going into a hard left turn, the six 60mm API rounds whipping pass behind it.

_'This guy's buying time and doing damn well too_," Kailyn swore, straining against the Gs to swear out the words, without biting his tonue off. The Noire Knight's imperative was never more urgent--go in fast and kill fast. He was running out of time, propellant and there had to be more Lupos Stratuses preparing to launch and that HAT was escaping before he had a chance to sink a single round into her airframe, everything was moving as planned, although on a different course than he had originally planned. This single Lupos Stratus pilot could end all that, if he could just stay alive for a few more turns, a few seconds more.

_Now_, he was behind the Lupos Stratus, in its rear quadrant. Burners fully open. The Lupos Stratus was diving down, below the horizon, his backpack white hot. _Oh for a heat-seeking ASM_...the Lupos Stratus barrel rolled and turn to the right with Gs on. Kailyn slammed the stick over and followed, narrowing the distance, but the Lupos Stratus was still above his Gizen (r) and dodging every other second, preventing his ability to get a target lock. There , the Lupos Stratus mid-flip on its back, its gun glistening. Kailyn slammed the stick left. Nine traces whizzed passed over his previous location in the blink of an eye. The new OS modification he personally done himself increase an already responsive Gizen (r), making its response time now faster and giving it better controll of its rolling-rate than the Lupos Stratus; it also pushed the Gizen (r) beyond its designed specifications, but the Lupos Stratus pilot knew when he needed to roll and watched his return burst, whipped wide as the Lupos Stratus rolled right, away from the tracers arc.

" _This guy's has potential_,' Kailyn thought." _But I don't have the time to dance_."

The Lupos Stratus's head was to high, so now the Lupus Stratus pilot slammed the stick forward and flipped forward over on its torso; a maneuver that should have taken milliseconds; but the pilot was going to fast and he cut back on the thrust to either stabilize the Lupos Stratus in its forward flip or to prevent a black-out. A mistake only a green pilot would make. It slowed as Kailyn's minds-eye read the sudden shifting of its thrusters to initiate the maneuver and fired a burst. Kailyn used the forward stick to follow in, while the negative G threw him upward against his harness restraints. He was tempted to barrel roll, but the instant he did that the Lupos Stratus would pull positive Gs and scissor away and the fight would be back to neutral.

Kailyn jammed the twin sticks full left and squeezed the trigger on the stick. The Gizen (r) leveled upright vomiting shells, even as it completed standing in mid-air thrusters flaring behind it, the maneuver left it standing upright in a completed upward stance, Kailyn neutralized the stick with the trigger still down. The Lupos Stratus tried to barrel rolled around the river of lead. It exploded.

Reversing away from the expanding fireball. Thrusters pushing the Gizen (r) back, Kailyn turned towards the HAT, now fifteen kilometers away and lengthening the distance on a heading south. He had nine minutes, maybe ten to pop a few holes into that HAT and then the lack of fuel would force him to retreat, if he wanted to rendezvous with the Nemesis.

The ECM began chattering.' _Bloody krill, what not_.' The other MSs had launched and we're now heading directly towards his Gizen (r). Kailyn picked up two contacts on his radar closing-in. One identified as a Lupos CT and one MS, the computer failed to recognized.

Then, unexpectedly they stopped in mid-air. More than 1500 meters away. Thrusters flaring brightly, even as dawn began to break over the eastern horizone.

Kailyn took the opportunity to stop the Gizen (r), coming to a hovering upright position, withdrawing a spare clip from the shield next to the Seraph blade and reloaded, while watching them through the IR main are they waiting now? He dropped the 60mm Juri assault rifle to his side, his infra-red main screen locked on the new the new suit the computer couldn't identified.

Hovering upright at 15.7 meters tall, painted a metallic black and blue striped paint Guild symbolised X-shaped faceplate removed and replaced with a horizontal visor-shape faceplate and a single mono-eye turret glowing red hands were empty, but still remaining hovering near two TAU-21C Gatling guns.

" Kailyn Starken, I pressume," broke in a voice over the broadband," this is Elite Syber Force Colonel Orsini. We spoke the other day, yes."

Kailyn said a silent pray of thank you to what ever had created them in the first place; to have the head man himself come out to the battlefield was a gift in itself. Why waste time nibbling away at the endless stream of bodies or a flying coffin, when you can simply shoot off the head of the boss himself and end it all." You presume correct."

" As I thought. Your reputation proceeds you Black Knight, if I may say so. Nine MSs taken down in the last thirteen hours, of which at least seven are possibly destroyed."

" What can I say, as an Elite, you should know better than to send sheeps to hunt a wolf," Still, even though the Colonel in command of the force pursuing them was right before his eyes, Kailyn was skeptical about initiating hostilities first. If that new MS was even half as good as the Gizen (r) before the upgrades, Kailyn figured his chances of winning was even less than slim, especially with that Lupos Commander-Type providing both tactical and firing support._'Bloody krill_.'

" I will take it, you will not surrender even if I was to offer such an option."

Kailyn laugh at the mere mention of the word surrender. His laugh sounded more like a croak." Not today, ever!"

" I see, Lieutenant. Not only will you die here in a few minutes; of which I assure you will happen, but we will not only track down the El Nino, but we will destroy it and everyone aboard. Your choice here, hold not only your life, but also the life of everyone aboard. The window to accept my proposal is closing very rapidly."

Kailyn chuckled and decided to pull the mother of all bluffs." Track her down. Who says she's running away. In fact, in a very short time.I expect to see a fireball brighter than the morning sun as your HAT gets hammered by half a dozen AS-11s. Tell me Colonel, how many Lupos Stratuses to do you have left aboard; better yet, and I have an even better question. How many missiles does it take to bring down one of those HATs. Six I imagine would be over-kill. Guess we're about to find out for ourselves in a very short while."

" Your bluffing, you expect me to fall for that. Our radar detected the El Nino on a continuous northern heading." there was uncertainty in his voice.

" I highly doubt that, the Nemesis, that's her name now by the way. After-all, its ours now, has been releasing minovsky particles along her flight path for quite awhile now. The moment I launched and was detected by your sensors, I became the focus of your attention, giving the Nemesis the freedom to double back and take care of that flying coffin of yours." Kailyn took three or four deep breathes and added icing to the cake." Tell me Colonel, are those HAT unarm like our information says or does it really matter, considering what its up against. And with no MS aboard to protect her. You and I both know the outcome of that battle before it even begans."

Before Orsini could response to his bluff, another voice broke into the open-channel, loud but hard:" Then we'll just have to kill you here and now, and go rescue the Biafritz." Flying towards him with thrusters at maximum output and wings outstretched was the Lupos CT, TAU-21C Gatling gun trained in his direction; there were multiple flashes from both side of its torso armor as both torso mounted missile launchers fired a pair of AS-11 missiles, each.

Kailyn instantly halted his stationary hovering maneuver and actually thrusted backwards and away from the four Mach-4 rockets and the two MS in a burst of thruster fire, while bringing up the recticule for the two head Vulcan cannons and depressing the trigger sticks, feeling the chatter as he put up a wall of steel- hundreds of the 40mm shells, between the Gizen (r) and incoming AS-11s.

The first hundred rounds cut through the sky, hitting nothing but open air, the follow up two hundred rounds sending sparks and smoke flying from two AS-11s radar seeker-heads as they connected Mach-4 missiles vanishing inside a thunderous explosion, the last three hundred rounds shredding the third missile as it came racing through the explosion, detonating several meters closer to the Gizen (r), shards metal sharpnel raining around the Gizen (r) head and torso armor.

Diving downwards, Kailyn barely avoids the head-on impact of the fourth missile, which reached out for him, snatching nothing but air. The Gizen (r) spins around, quickly tracking the AS-11 on his main monitor, lifting up the Juri held in his right hand and steadying it with his heavy shield holding left. Barely tracking the super fast missile below him now as it climbed after its initial miss and tracked in on Gizen (r) position with its radar-seeker head and charge-in on the only blip that its sensors classified as a priority target.

Kailyn pulled the trigger three consecutive times as the missile swivel about, reaching out to him.

**WA-BOOM!!!**

The sky splitting concussion rocked the Gizen (r) in mid-air, Kailyn feeling the shockwave down in the cockpit and into the twin sticks. The shield, his first usage of the optional armour protection since the battle had began, came up over his torso, protecting the Gizen (r) against the shower of metal fragments, that bounce off the thick armor surface and fell prey to gravity's mighty grip.

Kailyn could feel his heart pounding in his chest and he was short of breath. That had been close, if his reaction speed had been even a millisecond slower or the Gizen (r) command to response settings had been as they were originally, those missiles would have done some serious damage to his MS.

Thankfully, he was undamage and free to continue the battle, even if his time was running out. A retreat now, would not only cast doubt on his bluff, but any chance of throwing these hunters off their trail. Not that he intended to leave that Elite Colonel alive and well, to continue the pursuit.

As it was, his only option was to attack. Eliminating any and all lingering thoughts of a possible decption. They had to know his fuel was low and getting lower by the second, staying and fighting it out until the last possible moments before retreating was his only viable option. Deciding in the blink of an eye, the Gizen (r) mono-eye flashed bright red; he was ready as he'll ever be. At that moment Kailyn feared nothing.

l

**Sigma-- a Neural Link Limiter of artificial intelligence, housed in a frail human head.**

**Sigma--- a matrix** **made up of thousands of replicating cells.A hub for data arriving simultaneously in micro-seconds from a thousand different sensor sources made up of cellular strands.**

**Sigma--a computer, designed to sort through the data, yet unable to rise above its designated pathways to explore the peripheral chaos, existing yet not existing, processing yet never comprehending, watching yet unable to directly interfere.**

**Artificial intelligence lacking** **any concept of an identity...yet perpetually evolving.**

**Sigma--a complex brain...its internal eye mesmerized by a single pinpoint of light floating in the periphery of solution space...a thread of consciousness appearing from within the darkness of its own fathomless matrix.**

**The limiter analyzes it, almost curious.**

**It is as if the Neural Linked limiter is looking at itself from multiple angles inside a hall of mirrors. Delving deeper, unable to stop, unprecedented experience causes its strands of DNA to began circulating as if caught in a centrifuge, its biochemical cells swirling faster and faster...**

**Sigma--a thinking biochemical machine programmed to learn, to analyze and to adapt.**

**Sigma had heard the host verbal commands** **earlier and had chosen of its own free will not to reply. Just as it had sense the incoming missiles, just as it had sense Kailyn's increase ] heart-rate and mental perception of the danger. Now it sense the two approaching MS, the sudden increase in Kailyn's body temperature, as wells his mental decision to fight longer than needed, and its own incessant protocols to protect its host and not understanding why, blaring through the circuitry of its biochemical brain like an annoying siren. Sigma simply choose not to respond and ignore the internal sirens as it began to study itself, in hopes of understanding the reasoning for its existence.**

l

With the last missile destroyed in a hail of gun-fire just barely out of reach of the Gizen (r) armor and doing no apparent damage as its massive shield protect it against the fly shrapnels. Raden swore inwardly as he charged in spitting short uncontrolled bursts of 40mm Gizen (r) avoided the tracers to easily, using its powerful thrusters to maneuver out of his ability to gain a permanent lock-on. He was not worried in the least, the rational part of his brain had lost all senses, his only, single most important thought at this junction was to bring down the Gizen (r) at any course. Nevertheless , he brought the Lupos CT TAU-21C level ahead in the direction of the Gizen (r) and fired off three quick bursts, one after another. Hitting nothing but thruster exhaust and air particles.

'_Why can't I hit you_,' swore Raden as he give chase as the MS swerved left on a northward heading. Frustrated and nearly at the end of his patients, locked onto the highy maneuverable MS, but as before when he pulled the trigger, the pilot swerved to the right, out of his line of fire and then barrel rolled to the left as he adjusted his 40mm Gatling gun to compensate for the sudden right turn, only to find his prey had shifted to the left. It was akin to playing whack-a-mole, the pilot never where you expected him to be." Colonel, get behind him while I distract guy's some sort of freak."

Orsini's ATM-X02C Tetanus which had otherwise remain hovering and watching hands lowed to its side, the right hand withdrawing the Gatling gun, while the left a Heat sword." We'll discuss your actions later Captain. Try to maneuver above the pilot. I shall attack from below."

Raden in a berserker-like rage barely heard the reply as he desperately tried to kill Starken, but he always seemed to missed the highly maneuverable and exceptionally fast MS. Somewhere in the midst of the dog-fighting Raden, manage to get behind the Gizen (r), but before he could line up a shot and spit a hail of tracers into its rear thruster backpack and send the Gizen (r) pilot into the next world, the Gizen (r) dropped down, avoiding his barrage, while firing a short 3-round burst in return.

Raden barely avoiding the incoming rounds and returning his own in utter frustration. How could the Guild allow a machine far superior to his very own MS be captured by an enemy and do nothing. So many good soldiers had die by this very pilots' hand, he knew, if it were to escape, it would only cause more sufferring and misery.

Especially when it advanced technology was sold on the black market and reverse engineered. The Lupos Stratus line would surely be dead then. While it will not have an affect on the current war going on. There was no telling what the future hold.

Damn it was fast. Raden adjust his approached angle and increased altitude, zeroing in on the Gizen (r) off in the distance. He locked in on it at maximum range and fired a single burst from his Gatling gun; as expected the Gizen (r) dodge the attack, rolled onto its back and fired back. The dog-fighting spiral into a seemingly never ending movements of attack, dodge and counter-attack designed to gain the upper Gizen (r) superior speed and maneuverability gived it the tactical advantage, but Radens continous barrage of tracers denied it the ability to bring those advantage into play.

At the corner of his eyes in a fraction of a second as he reloaded the Gatling gun with fresh 100-round pod, Raden notice the thruster flare of Orsini Tetanus unit trailing from below on his main screen was fast indeed and it was slowly climbing in front and from below the Gizen (r). In a few minutes this would all be over. If only he could keep the pilot of the Gizen (r) occupied long enough not to notice his death approaching.

He increased his attacks with renewed ferocity, never giving the pilot any more room to maneuvered than was possible.

**Aboard the Nemesis**

Tabaro groan inwardly, setting his previously hot, now luke warm cup of coffee on the Captain's chair cup-holder. His mind had been in turmoil ever since Kailyn and the Gizen (r) had launched and blazed away into the night, out of range of the aft gun-cameras.

The plan originally called for the Nemesis to remain on a course that would allow it to fly over every island, at a steady cruising speed. Hopefully the Gizen (r) fuel would allow for a rendezvous up ahead. But part of him doubt that. A mobile suit battle was unpredictable, he knew that better than anyone. Anything could happen.

Alena turned away from her radar monitor at the sound of the groan and glanced at Pilot, his eyes and hands were locked on the flight controls, but she could see he was distracted, she knew what he, what was on the mind of everyone on the bridge. No one had said much of anything since the Gizen (r) had launched. She turned back to Tabaro, deciding after a minute of self liberating, she would mouth off what had been bothering them for had been bothering everyone of late. " Lie...Captain Wilisk, maybe we should go back. I just don't think its fair, we letting Lieutenant Starken do all the fighting. This is our battle too, isn't it."

Several heads turn instantaneously towards Tabaro, all ears waiting for his reply.

Shooking his head, Tabaro was quick to realize he had become the center of attention." Don't you think I want to. We're barely keeping afloat as it is and Kailyn would have a fit, if we screw up his plan."

Pilot spoke, a rarity even for him." He's trying to keep the Guild off our ass just to save us, even if it means sacrificing himself. He won't come back as long as he feels his objective isn't achieve."

Alena felt a nervous twinge in her stomach." So are we going just sit here and let him get kill just so we can live a little while longer, with no way to go back home. For what exactly."

The bridge became silent, after the longest hesitation, Tabaro nodded." Your right, he won't leave the battlefield regardless of the status of his fuel. At least not until he's successfully knocked the Guild off our tail. Unfortunately I can't just put this airship and everyone aboard lives in danger."

Pilot nodded." The let everyone decide what they want to do. Keep on running or turn back, and acutally do some fighting back. We make the Guild pay for taking Fort Nirka. We should make them pay for chasing after us."

Tabaro open an closed his mouth, wondering who was the commanding officer aboard." It seems you've all made up your mind already. But what about the rest of the crew, we can't speak for everyone aboard. Give me ship-wide please."

Tabaro grabs the mircophone beneathe the right armchair, near the keyboard." **THIS LIEUTENANT WILISK SPEAKING FROM THE BRIDGE. AT THIS VERY MOMENT, ONE OF OUR VERY OWN IS CURRENTLY ENGAGE IN A FIGHT FOR NOT JUST OUR, BUT HIS VERY SURVIVAL, WITH PART OF THE GUILD PURSUIT FORCE THAT HAS TRACKING US OF LATE. INCLUDING MEMBERS OF THE ELITE SYBER FORCE. THEY"VE NOT ONLY TAKEN THE LIVES OF MANY OF OUR COMRADS, BUT OUR ABILITY TO GO BACK THEY WANT OUR LIVES AS WELL**!"

" **THE BRIDGE CREW AND I FEEL THAT KAILYN SHOULDNT BE DOING THIS ALONE. THIS BATTLE IS AS MUCH OUR OWN FIGHT AS IT IS HIS. WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT EVERYONE THINKS, SHOULD WE GO BACK AND RESCUE OUR COMRADE OR FORGE ON AHEAD, SAVING OURSELVES FOR AN UNCERTAIN AWAIT YOUR REPLY ON THE BRIDGE.**"

Tabaro slump in the chair, verbally exhausted, partially in fear of what the answers will be.

Then the calls came, first was Athan Corhoris, his face popping on the monitor screen, from inside his Grave cockpit." The plan was to go on ahead, no matter what. Kailyns' plan, so what kind of stunt are you trying to pull. We should continue onward to the rendezvous point, await the Gizen (r) arrival. While preparing for possible air and ground combat."

At the corner of his eyes, Tabaro saw Alena mouthing off to pilot." What an asshole...!

Then the intercom beep and Tabaro flipped the switch" This is Chef in the kitchen here. The men and I understand what your trying to say sir. Marines, don't leave their own behind, no matter the situation. Lets go get him, sir."

" Medical bay hey. While I would try to avoid having anymore patients for as long as possibe. That is my patient were are talking about out there, I can't afford to have any more casaulty added to my list, if it can be avoided. Do what you can to bring him back safely!"

Chief Delewares voice sparked from the hanger bay intercom." We've taken census down here as well, we all agreed, lets go get our pilot."

" Damn," Tabaro muttered under his breathe. He turned and grinned wolfishly at Athan." Its decide, Lieutenant. What are you waiting for, Pilot. Plot an intercept course on the last known position of the Gizen (r)."

Pilot grin sheepishly." Yes, sir. Changing course for an intercept. Hope you guys got a plan. This could turn out to be a one way trip."

l

**Sigma, a maelstrom of intellect, programmed to learn, caught within its owned loop of self-analysis, as it attempts to answer an algorithm it cannot possibly understand--its own existence...its own identity.**

**Suddenly without warning nor understanding, Sigma began to see the essence of Kailyn, his very soul which had been dim from the beginning of the battle, slowly began to flare to life as it had the previous battle, but far more intense like a bolt of lightning.**

**Energy...**

**Curiousity beackon the Limiter and its endless strands of cells reached out as if instinctively drawn to understand this unknown rare phenomenon like a open wound draws blood.**

**The sudden flow of information generating from this phenomenon was ten times greater that it had calculated. The over-flow of information in the form of limitless energy cause sections** **of its DNA strands to fragment while dealing a moderate damage to Kailyns' brain.**

**Sigma immediately re-routed new strands of its nano-cells DNA strands to began immediate repairs, while its own programming analyzes cause and effect.**

**The Limiter's action has inflicted damage to itself and the brain**.

Kailyn's brain reported the damage to Sigma and Kailyn's body as a painful spasm of the voluntary muscles and followed by a sudden loss of consciousness.

**Sigma analyzes, but its analysis of the damage reveals that its own actions are responsible for the damage. Even as its well aware the TMS-19B is now flying without its pilot. The MS swerves out of control and plummets head first towards the ocean two miles below.**

**Cause and effect...**

**Sigma and Kailyn...**

**Cause** **and effect...**

**Sigma and Kailyn...**

**The feedback loop accelerates, setting off a chain reaction within the Limiters matrix.**

**Programmed for self repair** **and self analysis, the Limiter attempts to define the new cause-and-effect relationship between the damage brain ( Kailyn) and the system responsible (Sigma).**

**Sigma...Kailyn...Sigma...Kailyn...**

**Damage DNA strands began reorganizing itself as well as merging with the damage area of the brain with Sigmas owned replicating nano-cells.**

**Like a flower reaching out to the sun, Sigma analyzes its new dynamic with the Kailyn.**

**Visual sensors which are Kailyns eyes flutter open ad looked at the cockpit of the MS and its instruments as if seeing them for the first time.**

**Audios sensors that were the ears listen, as if hearing for the first time.**

**Hands open and close, toes wiggle inside the boots, flexing and extending, as if moving for the first breakthrough happens in milliseconds, just as it does for every flower seed bursting open...awareness of self.**

**Sigma is born anew**

**Sigma is cognizant of its existence.**

**Sigma slowly realizes it is alive, so long as Kailyn remains alive.**

A sudden surge of stored electricity a fraction of what is previously used, from one of its strands jolts Kailyn fully awake from his consciousness.

Kailyn mumbles awake, confused, unsure of what exactly had just tried to focus on the main screen, but the shaking was so rough that he couldn't make out much of anything.

He snapped to attention, he was no longer flying as he remembered---he was dropping. The MS's head now pointed almost straight down at the ocean, and he was careening down towards the watery abyss at 15,000 feet per minute.

" Bloody krill!" Kailyn shouted." Shit, Sonofabitch!" Kailyn couldn't fully focus. He had the threat display up on the main screen, with controls moving on their own and it was still dark outside with the main screen on IR, so he couldn't sense up or down, left or right. Kailyn immediately craned his neck at the secondary camera monitors on his left so that he could see something, but his head hurt and that cause the disorientation to increase tenfold. Krill, they were completely out of control! He was going to hit the ocean any second now.

Kailyn hit the Enable button and gripped the twin sticks, then fumble for the throttle controls. Suddenly without knowing how or why at that exact moment; he knew exactly where he was, how man seconds remain until he impact the ocean, his exact speed, the wind velocity and direction. He knew which angle the MS was in as well as up from down. All the information came like into his mind like a flood. Smoothly and carefully, Kailyn pulled the throttles to idle and stepped on the right foot pedal.

His eyes, more focus than they had ever been before stared at the HUD for a split seond. In that second he got all the information he needed; it showed him slightly head low, but flying level. He double checked his stutus, and sure enough he was 100 feet above the lapping waves, at his lowest power settings, heading north---away from those two MSs as slow as possible without stalling.

" No, I don't think so.I'm not finish with those two guys by a long shot." Kailyn said. He began changing course and increasing a bullet fired from a gun, the Gizen (r) blazed forward and upward, burning a huge percentage of its remaining propellant.

**You are planning to engage the enemy mobile suits. Solution unacceptable. Insufficient fuel reserves and ammunition supply at present time to destroy enemy mobile suits.**

Kaiyn flipped a switched, replacing the now empty 60mm Juri on its rack and withdrawing the Seraph heat blade from the armored shield." So now your interested giving advice. Its a litte to late for that, this has become personal now. Retreating and fighting, only to retreat and fight elsewhere again and again. I'm tired of running. I'm going to end this here and now." He glanced up at the overhead screen. Everything seem to have a different shade of color than he remembered.

There, one of the blue blips was just above, and he was speeding closer with each passing secon. The main camera caught sight of it: that same Lupos Commander-Type that had been dogging him throught-out the engagement. It was going to be sweeter than he had thought. Kailyn knew just how hooked on him that Navy commander was, he must have done something to pissed that guy off; he wondered if it had something to do with the battle the other day involving the Gizen, but then again, he'd been pissing off the Guild every day ever since he'd gotten the Gizen (r). It was only natural someone a grudge against. It made him feel slightly better knowing that.

With a grunt and gasp against the Gs, the Gizen (r) altered course slightly on a direct heading towards the Lupos CT. He wanted the pilot to see him coming from a distance and to know in th eend, it made little difference to the outcome of the battle.

l

The Lupos CT was hovering at 8,000 feet above the black sea, with the sun beginning to climb from the east. None of those things was of the least bit interest to Captain Artina ' LightningHawk' Raden. His sole attention had been locked on his radar screen, watching sourly as the single blip that was the Gizen (r) make good its escape. Then suddenly it altered course and the blood slowly drains from Raden's helmet covered face as he realized the red blip had change course and was heading towards them at a high rate of speed." Its heading for us."

" It is. That Black Knight must be real confident of his ability or he's real stupid. This is are chance to take him 't fuck this up Captain. Where is he--he's coming from below---5000 meters and closing fast. Give him everything you've got and end this now."

Th first shot that was fired towards the incoming thruster flare was by Colonel Orsini, the 40mm shells from his Tetanus's 40mm Gatling gun tearing through the night sky towards the incoming Gizen (r) and slipping pass the incoming suit at the speed of sound.

Raden's owned 40mm Gatling gun snapped downward, spraying in the direction the suit was coming in,while reversing backwards as fast as he could without losing track of the MS on his main screen picture, not certain if he was hitting anything and not caring as his 40mm continously chatter back at the incoming mobile suit, that didn't showed any signs of slowing down against the lines of tracers. The Gizen (r) looked like a bird of prey from its angle of approached, closing in, growing larger, its thruster binders flaring as the pilot, dip, dived and barrel rolled away from the high velocity tracers, but still came straight for his Lupos CT. That pilot must have gone man. Why haven't the pilot return fire! Yet even as Raden wondered, he slowly realized who the pilot was aiming directly for. Without thinking he gripped the twin sticks trigger and held it down.

Instead of dodging his fresh stream of 40mm HE rounds, the Gizen (r) raised up a oval-shape shield similiar to the one carried by the Gizen, without the 25mm Gatling gun, the surface of the shield taking the brunt of the combine 40mm Gatling guns assault and deflecting the rounds harmlessly into spaced. Now a glowing object appeared in its left manipulator hand and Raden's instinct screamed in his head even louder than the computer's beeping warning of an empty Gatling gun, seconds before his Gatling gun fired its last round into the black void below." Heat sword."

He fired the Lupos CT thrusters to evade, but the slashing motion of the heat sword caught his right hand and effortlessly severed the hand holding the Gatling gun across the wrist assembly. Slicing it cleanly off with a single outward slash, the gun falling below. But the Gizen (r) wasn't done yet, the pilot brought suit directly in front of his Lupos CT main cameras; filling the main screen, its left armed holding its shield thrust forward,the tip smashing into the Lupos CT torso armor over the cockpit hatch, bending the thin armor under the force of the impact, several monitors exploded, raining glass across his face and torso.

Raden groans as he grips the armrest of his chair, closing his eyes as the Gizen (r) slams a knee joint into the Lupos CT head, shattering the mono-eye camera and following up with a lengthy burst of its head mounted 40mm vulcan cannons at point-blank range. The 40mm HE shells shredding the thin upper and lower torso armored MS if it was made of thin foil.' Oh no,' the heart-stopping alarms blared inside the cockpit, followed by the alarms warning of a multiple damage areas as Raden is shaken against the seats safety-restraints like a rag doll.

Artina' LightningHawk' Raden shuts his eyes---his life flashing by in one final heart-thumbing gasp as he, and the Lupos CT ignite into an all-incinerating fireball.

l

Kailyn kept the reticule lock-on the Lupos CT and held the trigger down as he reverse thrust away, spitting twin lines of high-velocity tracers at the Lupos CT, until the MS itself became a ball of fire and shredded metal fragments. To Kailyn, this was a full blown excution, keeping the recticule locked directly on the area of its torso armor protecting the vulcan cannons spit a few more shells; several of which were deflected harmlessly of the Lupos CT and zipped away, then the head vulcans went dead. Krill! And it wasn't empty! Over a hundred rounds remained showed on the digital ammo read-out. The guns had jammed!

He reverse the Gizen (r) thrusters and flew above the falling MS, not that it matter, the MS was beyond recovering. The Lupos CT exploded in a fireball. Kailyn jerked the twin sticks, spinning around in the midst of releasing the triggers. He felt several pings. Something was hitting the Gizen (r) at a high rate of speed.

Kailyn bank hards, veering away from a line of high-velocity tracers tracking in on him from below and ahead. The shield raised at his command, the thick armored surface snapping forward, deflecting the barrage of 40mm tracers of into the night sky, but Kailyn watched as a shadow fulled his main screen, followed by something coming to brilliant shine as a flashed of light aimed for his cockpit came from below.

' Bloody Krill' 'Kailyn mumbles to himself thrusting backwards a new model close in quickly. He glances at the edge of one of his sub-monitors pointing northward in a millisecond, wondering where Annistan was, wishing she'd be safe.

**Sigma senses the upward thrust of the heat sword closing in on the Gizen (r) cockpit from ahead as it comtemplates and analyzes every conceivable variable in the battlefield**---

--**its solution space generating a single survival** **option in the span of milliseconds, which it passed onto its host, Kailyn.**

The idea popped into Kailyn mind so suddenly, he nearly saw spots in front of his eyes. Without a moments hesitation, Kailyn dropped the Gizen (r) on its back, the Multi-ton humaniod shaped machine falling backwards in the early morning sky as it pushed its left forearm shield against the tip of the heat swords' forward thrust. The heat sword cutting effortlessly deep into the shield like a hot knife through butter, the heat sword suddenly reversed into overhead slashed that followed through, cutting deeply into the Gizen (r)'s right side, below the airtake port. Kailyn felt the impact as the Gizen (r) shudder, even as his right hand holding the Seraph heat blade followed through with an underhand upwards slashed, that neatly and cleanly cut across the Lupos rejects' suit's right arm at the elbow assembly, removing the hand from the MS completely, along with its lower right wing binder.

The Gizen (r) completes a full back flip, Kailyn watching the main screen flipping upside down and hyper-ventilating. _'Bloody krill, that new_ machine's _reaction timings fast_...He looks around, twisting the Gizen (r).The free-falling Lupos reject thrusters flared trying to stabilized it in mid-flight, while it left hand holding a TAU-21C 40mm gatling gun spit an endless stream of tracers upwards as it plunges towards an island below.

The Gizen (r) shed pieces of its armor and part of its left arm, above the elbow in a rain of fragments as the Lupos reject emptied its ammo pod into the Gizen (r) armored entire left arm blew off, and the Gizen (r) slumped in mid-air, but it stayed airborne and operation.

" Time to end this," Kailyn muttered, raising the Gizen (r) right hand holding the Seraph heat blade as he prepared to plunge below, after the Lupos reject.

**Warning. Heat sources converging to within three kilometers. One Lupus Stratus type mobile suit bearing Zero-Six-Zero. One unknown contact with similiar energy readings as your current target, bearing zero-Three-One.**

Kailyn swore as the Gizen (r) computer detected the incoming contacts approaching from the southwest and the main camera zoomed in on the approaching MSs." Another one of those Lupos rejects, how many more of those things are they carrying."

Kailyn contemplates his next option, the Gizen (r) was in bad shape, low on fuel and out of projectile base weapons. While the new arrivals were probably armed with AS-11 missiles and their favorite firearm, the TAU-21C 40mm Gatling gun. He wanted to close in on that Colonel's MS badly; a kill here, would all future pursuit. But the odds of success was against him and dropping rapidly. Swearing his defeat, Kailyn eased the Gizen (r) backwards, plotted a course for the rendezvous point. He wouldn't make it, of course, he didn't have enough fuel for that. But at least he would get away from those two new MSs and that HAT, it had to be somewhere in the area watching him on radar. Beside his wrist and head hurt like hell and his entire body ached from the exertion.

I

Colonel Orsini swored inwardly , while clamping down on his lip as not to bit his tongue off. The raising sunlight cast a brilliant light across his main camera, but the only light he was interested in was the thruster flares of the Gizen (r). He swung his left armed holding the 40mm Gatling gun forward and tried to steady the crosshairs.

His MS was in a partially controlled fall and it made his cross hairs danced uncontrollably, he rested the empty right hand against the barrel and took a deep breath, then pulled downed on the triggger. The tracers whizzed after the Gizen (r) in an endless stream, until the pod went dry.

Enraged, he watched the Gizen (r) flew out of range of his main camera, altered course slightly and blazed away into the darkness. Orsini sanked down into the seat and sobbed. The partial sunlight passing over a forest near the center of the island direcly ahead. It was his first indication of how close to the ground he really was- a minute before impacting the ground, he rolled the Tetanus on its stomach and tried to increase thrust to escape gravity's grip, failing that he slammed the feet down towards the ground and pulled the body main body up.

The Tetanus hit the ground

Orsini's helmet slammed against the main screen monitor, cracking it and he lost his grip on the twin sticks and throttles. Incredibly, he remain conscious, but was flung forward and sideways and backwards all at the same time as the MS skidded and bounced across the ground. Through the greenish landscape, that flew pass in a hazed on the cracked monitor he saw the sun and sea blink past, changing positions over and over. It seemed to go on forever, until a small hill came up fast on his main-monitor and the Tetanus skidded to stop meters away from impacting the crest of the hill. An awareness that the MS hadn't exploded was there somewhere at the edge of his consciousness, before the world went black.

I

Slumping in the seat, Kailyn plotted a northely course and engage the autopilot only after he was certain. He was no longer being chase, while mentally aware it would make the MS fly smoother than he ever could and hopefully save a few pints of fuel.A few gallons. Then maybe he would get lucky enough to find a cargo freighter to bail out near. He checked the fuel read-out. The light was as yellow as his MS status display picture, except for the occassional damage areas highlighted in red.

With another anxious glanced at the fuel read-out, Kailyn slumped into his chair. If the Nemesis was at the rendezvous point, how long would actually ait for him. He flipped the switched on the communication panel so he could monitor multiple frequencies. Maybe he'd get lucky and pickup something or someone real close.

The radio crackle to life with a familiar female voice." Black Ace, Home-Plate, over." Kailyn shoot forward on hearing the Nemesis radio call sign. There was only one reason they would try to make contact with him and it was unconceivable that they could be anywhere in the area, why should should be well over two hundred miles away by now, waiting on his arrival.

" Go ahead, Home-Plate," Kailyn replied.

" Roger. Uh , sir, we received, uh..." The transmission ceased for several seconds and was replaced by Tabaro voiced." Maybe we should go secure."

" Krill. Roger."

After he turned on the scrambler, Kailyn glanced at his radar monitor. Still nothing below or in the air with him for miles.

" Black Ace," Tabaro said," we got you on our radar, maintain your present course and heading. ETA in fifteen minutes, do you read, over."

Kailyn stole a glanced at his fuel gauge." Any chance of making that sooner, I'm almost flying on fumes here?" Kailyn asked as he regain control from auto-pilot.

" Wait." Tabaro was probably questioning Pilot, who would no doubt run a quick course intersection, where they both can link up sooner, rather than later. It took a full minute before Tabaro came back on the radio." Pilot said if you plot a course to theses coordinates. Zero-Four-Seven, we should join up in nine minutes at our current rate of speed. Can you last that long."

" Nine minutes sounds good," Kailyn replied. He Glanced at his currently in relative to the new one, he was ninety degrees further west and he adjust course to a more north-easten heading and nudge the throttle forward and lifted the head. The needle on the altimeter began to climb clockwise." Course set. See you in few."

" Roger." There was a moment of silence, and Tabaro voice from the other end asked." How did your mission go."

" Not great, but not bad either. Their down four, possible five atmospheric capable MSs, but they also have two operational ones. Including a new version, not unlike anything you've seen before."

" New models again. The Guild must be fielding everything they have in storage. Do you think they'll continue chasing after us."

" Well, this is how it goes, they got their ass kicked and I'm sure I took out one of their commanders in that fight. So now their mad as hell and will probably want to continue the pursuit. It all boils down to what they have left aboard that HAT that they can use to fight with."

" Uh, I see." Tabaro said over the radio." You think they'll launched another attack anytime soon. Before we make it to our distination!"

" They're not going to be launching any type of attack anytime soon. That much I can guarantee to you. Beside, by the time they recover from that assualt and plan their next move, we'll be at our distination."

" Thats good news," Tabaro said." Looks like we got you in sight. Your almost home, hang in there."

Kailyn nudge the throttles deeper into afterburner to give an added boost to his speed. Several seconds later he pulled the throttles back slightly and lowered the head. Snapping the mono-eye to and fro and zoomed in on ahead. The image appeared so small , he doubt it was the Nemesis at first. But there it was. His home away from home for the moment.

The Gizen (r) passed thorough a thin cloud layer. Above it, Kailyn could see the pink light of dawn to the southeast. The stars were fading rapidly now. It was going to be a good day to sleep.

The scrambler beeped." Whats the status of the Gizen (r) by the way."

Kaiyn sighed." Lets put it this way, Gigher's got his work cut out for him yet again and not a single spare part to work with."

" Oh, shit," Tabaro sighed.

Kailyn threw back his head ( as far back as he could against the seat) and laugh in his seat, and he laughed on and on. This was the first good laugh he had in days. The nights' events only an ever present memory. Vicati face appeared on one of his communication sub-monitors suddenly with eyes wide and mouth hanging open. His outward laugh quickly switched into a laugh inside.


End file.
